Sweet Exploitation
by DreamyLoner
Summary: As a hyperactive sugar addict, Nutty is willing to do anything in exchange for just a piece of candy. When she bumps into the notorious young thief one day, she is offered an unexpected, special kind of trades. Will she comply with his cunning tricks? And how far will this unique trade change their lives? AU. Human/Anime. Lifty x Female!Nutty.
1. The Trade

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to Mondo Media**.**

**Warning: **sexual themes,mild violence and cursing.

**Remarks: **All characters are humanised.

* * *

Lifty perched on the fence and stared down at the sugar-additive girl as she scampered around in the park. Things had actually gotten much better without his twin around. Somehow, Lifty managed to get away from the previous night's failed robbery. His identical twin, Shifty, however, was not in such luck. He got caught by Splendid, the town's amateur hero and thrown into prison right away. For the very first time in his life, Lifty was able to escape from his crime without paying any cost. Even he could not believe it. Shifty was usually the one who abandoned him and left him suffering from the aftermath of their sin. This time though, God was apparently on Lifty's side.

He smirked as he pictured his brother cursing helplessly in a pitch-dark barred cell, wondering why he, but not Lifty was caught. Wriggling his legs leisurely, Lifty began to hum and whistle. His noise caught Nutty's attention. The greenette gawked at him oddly, sticking out her tongue to lick her lollipop. She was wearing a lime green sweater and a short yellow skirt. Her shoes were too big for her and the shoelaces weren't even tied properly, which made her stumble in every step. Her tangled hair was tied in two pigtails with various hairclips of candy shape. Her googly left eye resulting from amblyopia rolled from side to side as she glanced at Lifty curiously.

"What're you looking at?" Lifty stopped whistling and interrogated the girl rudely. The boy was miffed that his leisure moment was disrupted by Nutty's persistent gaze.

"N-Nutting." The girl flinched timidly and her eyes flickered back to the playground. Merrily, she wandered off. Lifty snorted with a beam of disdain on his face. With one flexible leap, he landed back on the ground. Jamming his hands into his pockets indifferently, he began to stroll away, only to be interrupted by a sudden wail. Reflexively, he turned around and saw Nutty in a puddle of mud. Her face slammed straight onto the ground. When she looked up and saw her swirly lollipop being hurled a meter away from her, she started whimpering. Without hesitation, she reached out her hands attempting to grip her candy, which had unfortunately fallen into a pool of sand. Lifty widened his eyes incredulously, hardly bringing himself to believe that the girl was actually trying to retrieve her snack from the filth.

"Hey, stop!" Lifty kicked away the lollipop, an action enough to startle Nutty and send her crying.

"Gosh, can't you see it's dirty?"

Nutty didn't respond. Tears kept cascading down her cheeks as she whined louder. People passing by all shot Lifty weird grimaces as though he was the one responsible for hurting Nutty. Lifty gritted his teeth in fury and seized Nutty's arms, hoisting her up at once.

"Stand up, Nutty. People are looking!" This disgruntled male snarled.

The girl's face was covered in mud, which was totally an unsightly scene. Unable to resist people's irritating stares, Lifty dragged Nutty out of the park.

"S-Stop." With much ado, Nutty struggled and broke free from Lifty's clutch. They were now standing in the middle of a congested street. The boy looked over his shoulder and glowered at her, enraged.

"You-You're bruising me." The sobbing girl croaked, rubbing her wrist where a trace of red marks gradually became visible.

"Oops, sorry, but you were so damn annoying back there." Lifty said.

"I-I w-want my candy back…" Nutty wept.

"It's dirty!" Lifty yelled.

"I want my candy!" Nutty yelled back.

"What the heck do you want to do with a dirty lollipop? Can't you buy another one?!"

"I want my…candy…" Nutty began wailing again. Lifty rolled his eyes in frustration. Sometimes, this nutty girl really drove him crazy. He and Shifty did business with her several times before. The first time they approached her, they couldn't believe their luck when she was willing to trade her entire property just for a mountain of sweets. Speaking of trading, an idea suddenly popped up in Lifty's mind.

"Hey, stop crying. I'll get you some candy, okay?"

Nutty ceased crying all and ogled the male skeptically."R-Really?"

"Yeah. I have some back at my apartment. And some ice-cream too."

"Ohhhh! Ice-cream!" Overjoyed, Nutty began jittering and clinging to Lifty. The whole impulsive reaction made the boy more uncomfortable and embarrassed than ever. Begrudgingly, he led her down the street and headed towards his dwelling place.

They crossed a road and eventually stopped at an old, wrecked apartment building. The entire construction was filled with an intimidating, disgusting aura. Nutty gulped as Lifty stepped through the entrance. It was dark inside and it obviously did not look like a Candyland.

"What're you waiting for?" Lifty urged and gestured her to follow him. Reluctantly, Nutty slinked into the building. They passed a long corridor before making a left turn. Then, they took the stairs and headed directly to the third floor. Lifty's flat was situated at the far end. Other rooms on the same floor were all vacant. Their shuffling footsteps echoed loudly in the hallway. The wallpaper was peeled off and some debris could be seen popping out of the ceiling. Nutty had every reason to fear if the building was going to crumble down at any second. When they finally arrived at his flat, Lifty turned the knob and they went inside his house. He switched on the lights. Now, Nutty could see the room clearly. Her eyes roamed over the flat to examine every single detail of the furniture, setting and décor. The place wasn't big to start with and it was messy as hell. There were two bedrooms, one kitchen and a bathroom. Torn clothes and carpets were lying everywhere. Dirty dishes, empty glass bottles, unwashed cutlery rested all over the place. To add more repulsion to it, there was a horrible odor. Nutty wasn't sure if the terrible smell wafted out from the rotten food or the bag of trash that was sitting in one corner of the kitchen. Instinctively, she searched desperately for a clean spot to settle down. In the end, she decided to pick the couch.

"Man, this place stinks." Lifty grunted as he tossed away a piece of rug. Nutty raised her brows in confusion.

_"Doesn't he live here every day?" _She thought.

"I haven't been home for a week." Lifty seemed to have heard her thoughts. He grumbled to no one in particular. "That fucking idiot spent a whole week planning for the robbery in a motel and see what his brainless ideas got us into. Damn, this place needs some cleaning. Wait there, Nutty."

Lifty mumbled a few more complaints before hastily trying to tidy up the room. He swept the floor briefly and dumped some garbage out of the flat. When he was done, the choking odor faded a bit and things got neater. Lifty returned from the kitchen with a bunch of snacks and sweets in his hands. He threw them all on the table.

"There you go, candy girl." He said.

Nutty could feel her heart racing as she drooled at the things displayed in front of her. There were chocolate chips, chocolate bars, lollipop, crisps, ice-cream and many others. Oh, what a fortune! Without a second thought, the girl tore off all the packages and began devouring everything. As she repeatedly stuffed candies and chips into her mouth, Lifty nearly dropped his jaws. He couldn't believe someone could be so addicted to sugar. It was far too abnormal and…frightening.

"Easy there." Lifty said and handed her a cup of water.

"No, I w-want coke." Nutty demanded.

"What the fuck." Lifty scowled. "I don't have coke here."

"Cr-cream soda!" Nutty howled with a mouthful of chocolate.

Lifty strode back into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Well, there was a can of cream soda.

"Yay~ Cream soda~" Nutty applauded happily and snatched the cold drink from Lifty, almost making him stagger backwards in shock. He was beginning to regret when he saw the sugar lover bubbling with immense energy. She was hopping up and down in excitement, basically smashing everything that came into her sight.

"Gosh, Nutty, don't fucking mess around!" Lifty roared and grabbed both of her hands. It took him five minutes to finally calm her down.

"And please, can you wipe that mud off your face?" Lifty said. "The bathroom is next to the kitchen."

At this point, he doubted if Nutty was actually listening to him but she did as told, though in a snail-slow motion. She wasn't as motivated to clean herself as she was to eat candy.

When she came out of the bathroom, her creamy face was clean as new. She started licking her lips for traces of sugar left over. Seeing she had consumed every snack in Lifty's house, she couldn't be more satisfied.

"Th-Thank you, Lifty." She said gratefully and headed for the door but the boy blocked her way in time.

"Hey, girl, you haven't paid yet." Lifty said, his voice hoarse and serious.

"Huh?" Nutty halted and looked at Lifty in bewilderment.

"What do you think? Eating all my food and leaving without paying." Lifty smirked. "Pay and you can go."

"B-But…" Nutty cringed fretfully, fluttering her eyes with panic.

"What? It's not the first time we do business. We traded things before. You get the candy. I get the money. How much have you got?" The thief pointed out rather accurately but the girl seemed unfazed.

"I…I…" Nutty rummaged through her pockets, flipping them over, only to show that she hadn't got a penny.

"What the hell?! You don't even bring a coin with you?!" Lifty exclaimed, hands on his head. His face reddened with fury.

"W-Well…you see, you never did say I needed t-to pay!" Nutty argued.

"Don't play dumb! There ain't such thing as free lunch!"

"I-I don't have any money. I'm br-brokeeee."

"I don't care. You gotta pay me or I'm not letting you out of here!"

"B-But…"

"You ate all my food. Screw you! These are all I've got for this week!"

"Oh…"

"Oh what? Go back home and fetch your cash, girl!"

"I can't."

"What?!"

"I don't have money at home…I u-used up all m-my savings this week. I gotta wait until my parents se-send me cash next Monday…"

Seething in anger, Lifty growled and clenched his fists. He couldn't believe Nutty was penniless. As far as he knew, this crazy girl was rich. Well, not her, but her family. She lived alone though. She never had to work and all she ever did was eat candies. Allegedly, her parents worked abroad but they sent home money and necessity regularly. If she was broke, that would only mean two things- either she had lost her money or she had spent it all on candies.

"Um…m-maybe I can pay you with something else?" Nutty bargained, her eyes shimmering with anticipation.

The thief though dismissed her claims almost immediately.

"Like what? Don't tell me your hairclips. You don't even have a piece of jewelry. There's nothing I want other than cash! I want cash! CASH!" Lifty bawled frantically.

Astonished by his outburst, the girl tumbled backwards and tripped over a stool. Her bottom landed on the ground and her skirt curled up a little, revealing her bare thighs and a pair of slender legs. A small portion of her belly was also exposed as a corner of her sweater got accidentally nailed to the stool.

Lifty gasped at the scene. It was the first and the only time he really paid attention to her body figure in detail. He never noticed much about her physique, probably because she was an insane, hyperactive girl that didn't appeal to many people. She basically started freaking out once she saw any sugar-related thing. His eyes roved over her breasts, which were surprisingly big, in his opinion. Despite her continuous sugar consumption, she had got a perfectly slim body. Her waist was built with wonderful curves and her legs…they were patsy and long.

Realizing her skirt had curled up, Nutty immediately pulled it down. She got back up onto her feet, only to stumble over her own enormous shoes. This time, she landed on Lifty, her head buried in his chest. The boy's heart pounded at an incredibly rate. He frowned at the girl, who gradually withdrew from his arms.

"S-Sorri!" Nutty murmured.

"It's okay." A sly grin emerged on Lifty's face as he patted her on the head. "Did you say you wanna pay me with something else?"

"Y-Yes?"

"How about this."

In a fleeting moment, Lifty draped his arm around the girl and pulled her over for a kiss. Stunned, the girl tried to push him away but her struggling was futile. He clutched both of her hands and pressed his lips harder against hers. After a few seconds, he let go and both of them were panting.

"W-What're you d-doing?!" Nutty backed away in fear.

"Your payment, girl."

"W-What payment?"

"I want you to pay me with your body." Lifty said.

"M-My body?"

"Yes. It won't take long and I promise I won't hurt you." The boy said, drawing closer to the female.

"B-But how? Y-You aren't gonna kill me, right?"

"Ever heard of sex?" Lifty sneered and wrapped his arms around her waist. The girl twitched and gazed at him in perplexity.

"Nope?"

Nutty shook her head. Well, it didn't surprise him. After all, everything that existed in her world was candy, candy and candy.

"Well, it's what you can do to trade for something." Lifty explained, feigning a sober look. "You see, you've got all my food. Now it's time for you to pay back."

"W-What do I h-have to do?" The innocent girl asked.

"First, you kneel down."

Feeling rather awkward, Nutty followed his order.

Quickly, Lifty undid his pants and boxers. She widened her eyes in horror and shrank.

"N-No…"

Before she could protest, Lifty grasped chucks of her hair and said. "Open your mouth."

"Ermmmm…" Nutty babbled some words and the next thing she knew, something huge was forced into her mouth. The girl trembled in fear as the boy started yanking her head back and forth. She could only reach about half of the length and every thrust sent the solid thing almost down to her throat. The feeling was awful and peculiar. She didn't know why this was happening. She felt as though she would choke soon.

Seeing her anguish, Lifty stopped and released her. Nutty coughed and started gasping for air.

"Well, too rough for you, eh?"

"Can w-we do s-something else?" Nutty pleaded. "I d-don't like this…"

"No. You pay and I'll let you go." Lifty asserted sternly, motioning her to continue with the act.

Halfheartedly, Nutty complied with the request. This time, she managed better without him gripping her hair. Lifty lay back and enjoyed the pleasure. He was certain it was her first time but she was doing better than expected. He could feel heat circulating around him, his heart thumping madly against his chest. He arched his back and indulged in the blissful sensation. Finally, the male muffled a few moans and came right inside her mouth. Astounded, Nutty collapsed to the ground wheezing. She coughed out some discharges but some had already traveled down her throat. The thick, sticky texture disgusted her but the taste was something else. It tasted weird. Not entirely bad but not sweet.

"First step finished." Lifty hauled her up and smiled.

"W-What?!"

"Now let me see…" Before Nutty could figure out what was going on, Lifty had already undressed her. He pinned her down on the couch. She blushed as he unclipped her bras.

"N-No…S-Stop…" Nutty ducked at first but soon she trailed off. An unusual feeling of pleasure struck her as the boy squished her breasts. Lifty bent down to kiss her. He nibbled her lips and glided his tongue skillfully into her mouth. It was suffocating but wondrous. Nutty had never felt this way before. She had never been so intimate with anyone like this, let alone a boy. Still, she did not know much about 'sex'. Nobody ever mentioned this word to her.

_"Is it all about kissing and touching?" _She wondered.

The simple French kiss evolved into a passionate wrestling between their tongues. Soon, both of them had to stop for a second to catch their breath. Still panting heavily, Lifty pecked at her neck, his hands tracing down her stomach, belly and waist. His kiss on her shoulder blades earned a sudden groan from her. The boy then realized it was her sensitive area. He continued biting her collarbones at various spots, driving the girl to ultimate pleasure.

"Damn, you're a hot chick." Lifty commented. Nutty could only understand half of his utterance. In fact, most of the time when people cursed at her, she hardly caught the hint. It's not because she was stupid. She just didn't bother to comprehend things other than eating sugar.

"A-Are w-we done now?" Nutty asked hopefully.

"No, sweetheart." Lifty chuckled and kissed her forehead. His hands reached down to her panties, exploring her throbbing area. Within seconds, he slipped his palms underneath the garments.

"Errr…wh-what're you doing?"

"Pleasuring you, sweet-pea." Lifty said. Growing impatient, he ripped off her panties directly and started his prank. The girl blenched and cried at once, hugging the boy's head.

"Easy, girl." He shushed her, assuring that everything would be alright. He was amazed how untainted she was. Indisputably, she was an untouched virgin. Among all the girls he had made out with, none of them possessed such a seductively pure body. Her naïve cries and inexperience turned him on, making him want her more than ever. Even if she was bizarre, crazy and sometimes uncontrollable, she was awesome. If only he had found this out earlier…not that it was too late right now.

Nutty writhed in slight pain. Lifty leaned in and kissed her again, while keeping his fingers rubbed sensually against her body in constant motion. The girl plunged into complete pleasure. Some minutes later, she could feel a stream of numbness overwhelming her body as Lifty repeatedly hit her sweet spot. Her groans grew louder, fueling the boy with lust and burning desires. Millions of thoughts were swirling in Nutty's head. She had long lost the sense of right and wrong. She doubted if what they were doing was really appropriate. The feeling was fabulous but it was nothing like eating sweets. For the past sixteen years of her life, she had only learned to gain happiness from sugar. This time though, there was not a slight involvement of any sugar and yet she felt as though she was in heavenly ecstasy. Suddenly, she blurted out a beautiful, soft shriek as she felt a terminal closure in her gracious walls. A winsome grin crawled over Lifty's face as he admired his work proudly. Nutty was shivering a bit, her eye-lids half open. The world was spinning around her. The energy she had previously obtained from the candy seemed to drain away at an unimaginable speed. Her heart was bouncing fast and sweat trickled down her forehead, drenching strands of yellow hair in the front. She thought this was already the end but her assumption was proved wrong when Lifty re-positioned himself on top of her.

"W-What are y-ya doin'…?" Nutty kept her eyes fixated on Lifty, who simply shot her a friendly expression before shoving himself to her entrance.

"Huh?" Her question was left unanswered as Lifty pushed himself into her. The poor girl screeched in agony. Tears welled up in her puffy eyes. The pain was unendurable. She felt as though she was being torn apart. Somewhere, deep in her lower region was being penetrated and broken harshly. She only learned it later that it something called 'hymen', possibly one of the most precious things to girls, a symbol of purity and chastity. At least, the ypung thief was good enough not to bump into her right away. Rendering her in pain, an instantaneous sense of guilt raised within his heart. For a second, he considered stopping but again, his sexuality suppressed his conscience. _He wanted her. He yearned for her._ In the end, all he could do was wait for her to gradually get adjusted to his large size. He caressed her tenderly and licked off her tears. He whispered sweet, loving words into her ears. The girl was taken aback but somewhat relieved. Although she wasn't literally intelligent, she could still grasp some meanings from his utterances. Something like 'love' and 'comfort'. These words would sound meaningless to her since all that ever appeared in her vocabulary was 'sugar' and 'sweet'. _Nothing more._ Nonetheless, his cautious reassurance and warm embrace melted her heart. When she eventually relaxed herself, he began thrusting in and out of her, though maintaining a gentle manner. She squirmed as he slid forth and back. She felt queer. He kissed her again to soothe her. The kiss didn't taste sweet, unlike her lollipop. But she permitted it anyway. She liked the feeling…._the sensation_. It was undoubtedly her first time ever to crave for something that's not sweet at all.

A couple of minutes passed and Nutty wondered how long it would take her to fulfill her payment. The pain began to ebb away and in replacement, there was a sense of pleasure again. The feeling was as remarkable as it had been in the previous session where Lifty petted her with his fingers. Her sheepish moans returned, triggering something in the boy. He began to pick up his pace, which earned him a few more shameless screams from the adorable greenette. He examined her facial expression, which was twisted in both angst and contentment. He had never thought she would look so pretty before. Her appearance was totally hidden out by her eccentric attire. She usually wore bright green and yellowish clothes, something none of the girls in the town would ever choose. Her fashion was weird. Her habit was weird. She was weird. Yet, he liked it. Part of him was flooded with pride that he was able to tear the innocence off such a pure, unsullied body. Part of him though, was engulfed by guilt. He was a thief. He had tricked many people before. He wasn't supposed to feel guilty. But this time, he was tricking a girl into losing her virginity. And what made it worse was that she had not any idea what she was getting herself into. She didn't even know the meaning of 'sex'!

Nutty's whimpers snapped Lifty back to reality. He placed his hands on her cheeks and fondled her face. Out of his expectation, the girl gave him a sincere, childish smile. Her childlike expression made him feel like a pedophile, though they were probably around the same age. Still, her interior was merely a child. Her thoughts, her attitudes and her beliefs showed no signs of growth. It was actually something nice, for a girl like her would never have to confront the cruelty of the world. She had everything she wanted- a Candyland home, a rich family and an everlasting interest of eating sweets. This again, stabbed Lifty with guilt. He wondered if she was ever able to enjoy life the way she used to after this.

In a split second, both youngsters were struck by maximal pleasure. Lifty shut his eyes as he felt the unique sensation spreading all over him body. He groaned in glee. Nutty was also rewarded with a wonderful feeling she had never experienced before. She flopped back on the couch as it dazed her. She could feel warmth filling her bit by bit when he shot his loads inside her area. Puffing and sweating, he landed on top of her, his chest brushing against her breasts. She flushed immensely as their skin came into contact. He removed himself from her slowly, not wishing to hurt her.

Lifty regained his consciousness faster than Nutty. When he finally got back up and dressed himself, Nutty was still lying on the couch in exhaustion. He took a glimpse of her. She had closed her eyes. A drop of sparkling tear, which looked more like a pearl to him, rolled down her cheek. Apprehensively, Lifty crouched beside her and held her hand.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked worriedly.

He smiled when the girl nodded.

Slowly and clumsily, Nutty got up as well. She rubbed her eyes and wiped off her tears. Her hair was in a muddle.

"Here." Lifty handed her back her clothes. "Sorry...I..er…tore your panties."

"Oh…" Nutty didn't really care that much about her panties. She quickly put on her sweater and skirt and her exceptionally big shoes.

"Here, I'll help you." Lifty offered as he bent down to help tie her shoelaces.

"Th-Thanks…I never know how to tie them."

"Huh?" Lifty raised his brows at her. "And you picked a pair of shoes like this?"

"I c-couldn't find others this morning…so yea." Nutty giggled.

A long moment of awkward silence reigned the room. Lifty sat next to Nutty. Her legs were dangling from the couch and she was fidgeting badly with her own fingers.

"Ummm…did I pay you enough?" Nutty suddenly asked.

"Yes, your debt is cleared." Lifty answered.

"C-Cool." Nutty stood up and ambled towards the door.

"Let me." Lifty followed her and opened the door for her. Nutty widened her eyes in disbelief, surely not foreseeing his sudden kindness.

"Hey, Nutty." Lifty murmured once she stepped out of his house. She turned around and peeked at him. "Yea?"

"Just so you know, if you ever want any candy, you know where to find me." Lifty sneered. "And of course, when Shifty isn't around."

"O-Okay." Nutty smiled back. Lifty watched her dance off and completely disappear from his sight.

Somehow, he hoped they could have another trade again soon. The sooner the better.


	2. Mutuality

Ever since they had their first unique "trade", Lifty had been keeping in contact with Nutty for nearly two weeks. Each time she ran out of money to buy the candy she needed, she would find Lifty. He would provide her with every sugary snack she wanted and in return, she would pay him with her body. It didn't bother her as much as it had in the beginning. As long as it didn't cause her much pain, she would comply with Lifty's request. Sometimes, they wouldn't even do it. He would simply ask for a blowjob and she could get away with it. The girl still had no concept of the sexual activity between them. She still reckoned it was the best way to trade for candy without actually paying with cash.

It was a fine, muggy day and Nutty was meandering about in the park with her lollipop. She was playing on the swings when Lifty appeared.

"Hi, Lifty!" She waved at him eagerly. Once he saw her, he smiled and sat on the swing next to her.

"Hey, what's up."

"Nut-Nutting much." Nutty replied. Lifty took a glimpse of her and immediately regretted it. The way she stuck out her tongue and licked her lollipop was so provocative. When she bit her own cheesy lips, he felt his arousal again. Swiftly, he shook the dirty thought out of his head. He had been trying to control himself as much as possible. He hadn't gone into detail to explain the true meaning of "sex" to her. The poor, innocent girl still thought it was a proper thing to do in a trade. Sensing his stare, Nutty tilt her head as if a huge question mark was whirling above her.

"What are you staring at?" Nutty asked and held out her lollipop. "Is that you want a bite?"

"No. No. Not that." Lifty said and quickly looked away.

"Oh." Nutty giggled and concentrated back on her snack. "You know what, they've recently got this new flavor in store and I love it so much! I usually have strawberry flavor because it's sweeter. Orange and peach are good too. And yesterday, Flaky showed me the new cherry flavor and it's so awesome! You really should try one, heheee."

"Yea, I might." Lifty mumbled. "Um…Nutty?"

"Yea?"

"I've been wondering. Why are you so keen on candy?" Lifty said, peeping at Nutty. "I mean…you really can do anything for candy, eh?"

"Simple! Be-Because candy is my l-lifeee." Nutty chuckled.

"How long have you been addicted to candy?"

"I…er…" Nutty scowled and paused for a moment as though she was in deep thinking. "I don't remember. W-When I was really small, I guess."

"What's so good about candy?"

Nutty ogled Lifty with an interesting expression. It was like saying what a silly question he asked!

"It's sweet." Nutty scoffed.

"Yea, I know, but still it's weird. Just weird. And the way you have so much sugar intake is bad for your health, honestly."

"M-Maybe." Nutty said indifferently.

"Is there a reason why you don't go to school?" Lifty asked. "I've never seen you around."

Nutty swallowed the last bit of lollipop and stood up abruptly. She licked her fingers to make sure every trace of sugar was down her throat. Then, she pulled out a few more sweets from her pocket and tore off the wrappers, eating again.

"Yea. Mom doesn't like me causing trouble at school so sh-she prefers me to be home-schooled." Nutty said.

"Oh, no wonder. I guess Sniffles is your teacher then."

"Yup." Nutty nodded. She tossed the candy wrappers to the floor and started walking away.

Lifty got up as well and followed her. The two lingered around for no particular purpose. Shifty still wasn't released from prison. Alone and without many friends, Nutty seemed to be the only one Lifty could hang around with these days. He thought she would never find him again after their first time, probably because she might realize she had been tricked. Yet, she was still as oblivious as could be.

"Oh look! It's the ice-cream truck!" Nutty jumped with excitement as she saw Cro-Marmot pulling up his truck on the road. Without another word, Nutty grabbed Lifty's wrist and scooted towards the truck.

"Yay!" Nutty clapped her hands while hopping up and down. "I want a chocolate cone, pl-pleaseeee." She said, clinging to the truck's window. Cro-Marmot handed her a chocolate cone and she searched her pocket for coins.

"Oops…I…" Nutty looked at Lifty, who raised his brows. "Can you, Lifty?"

"Yea, sure." Lifty paid for her ice-cream and got himself one as well.

"I'll pay you back later." Nutty said.

"It's okay."

"Really? Y-You mean it?" Nutty widened her eyes with a charming smile.

"Yea. You don't always have to pay me back. I just happened to have a few changes. That's all." Lifty said. "It's what friends are for."

Nutty scratched her head when she heard the word "friends". Again, she was not sure what "friends" means but several people did regard her as their friends. She remembered Sniffles saying she was one of his friends and Flaky as well. As to Lifty, it was entirely a different thing. He doubted if he should consider her as his friend. In some sense, she was his victim, a person whom he had tricked into being his sex partner. He never had any friends. Shifty was the only person he could hold on to and they weren't always on good terms. Sometimes, they fell out, usually when they failed in stealing. They would blame each other for whatever fault they made and Shifty would always boss around.

"Can I try yours?" Nutty asked, her eyes glittering. Lifty was surprised to see her already finish her cone.

"Just one bite, girl." Lifty said. Of course, one bite for Nutty looked more like half of the cone.

"Oh, vanilla isn't that bad. I should tr-try it next time." Nutty said chewing her own lips. Lifty frowned at his cone. It wasn't because Nutty had taken an exceptionally large mouthful of his ice-cream but because her tongue had touched it. It was like having indirect contact with her lips. At this point, Lifty's heart started racing again. Why? He asked himself. He couldn't possibly be in love with this sugar addict, could he? Lately, he always felt aroused whenever Nutty was around. Whatever she did looked seductive to him. After seeing her nude once, he couldn't snap the image of her out of his head. It was also why he kept having trades with her even though he knew it was wrong. Utterly wrong. He could never redeem the sin he had committed.

Lifty let out a sigh.

"W-What's wrong?" Nutty asked. "D-Did I upset you?"

"No, you didn't." Lifty smiled. "Why don't we have some fun? It's Saturday."

"L-Like eating candy?"

"Um…you can say that. Do you watch movies?"

"S-Sometimes but…but as you see, I didn't bring enough m-money out today." Nutty said, fiddling with her fingers.

"I'll pay for both of us, okay? And you don't have to do anything. It's a date."

"A what?"

"A date." Lifty smirked and he could tell from her face she didn't understand the word. "Let's say. It's something you do with a friend in leisure time. You don't need to trade anything for a date. Well, time, maybe."

"Ohhh, that sounds good if there's candy to eat!" Nutty bounced happily and took Lifty's arm. "What're we waiting for? Let's go!"

Lifty couldn't fathom why he would take Nutty on a date. Perhaps it was the boredom that was killing him. Or perhaps it was guilt. Deep down he wanted to make it up to Nutty after she had satisfied his needs so many times. They headed to the cinema and Lifty bought the tickets. Nutty had picked a comedy film and the only reason she did so was because she spotted jelly beans in the film poster. Even though Lifty explained to her the movie might not actually have jelly beans in it, Nutty still chose it.

"Alright. As you wish." Lifty gave up and face-palmed himself.

"I know there aren't jelly beans." Nutty suddenly said and Lifty gawked at her. "B-But…it's a comedy, the best type of movie to watch while munching crisps and eating popcorn."

"So, you like something funny?"

Nutty nodded.

"Well, it's only 2 pm. We gotta come back an hour later." Lifty checked his watch and said. "What do you say about lunch? Have you had lunch yet?"

"Does candy count?"

"No." Lifty laughed and gripped her hand. The girl blushed. An odd feeling struck her and she couldn't tell what exactly it was. Not many people had held her hands before, often because bits of candy were stuck to her palms. Girls found the sticky feeling revolting, especially Petunia. The only person who felt comfortable touching her hand was Flaky. She was a nice, amiable person. These days though, she was far too occupied in her relationship with Flippy that she hardly got time to play with Nutty. Of course, Nutty didn't mind at all. She was simply glad for Flaky and as long as she had candy around her, she would be fine to be alone. Candy is her _soulmate_. Candy is her _savior_. Candy is her _life_.

Lifty didn't seem to mind holding her hands at all. He had got accustomed to the candy smell on her body. It was sweet, in fact, and alluring. It was as though she took candy bath every day. When they made out, he could smell sweetness all over her hair. He wondered if she used candy shampoo too.

They finally stopped at a restaurant, which happened to belong to Disco Bear. The only reason they would choose it was again because of Nutty. She spotted the dessert recipe and immediately without hesitation, she pulled Lifty into the restaurant. They settled in a seat near the window where they could view the street clearly.

"Good afternoon, our dear guests…" Giggles trailed off when she saw Lifty with Nutty. She studied the two carefully, shooting Lifty a curious stare. "Oh…are you two…"

Before Lifty could answer, Nutty tapped the table gleefully. "Ohhhhh, I'm gonna have this...oh what do you call it again? Yes! Chocolate macaroon brownies and one cheesecake please…oh and strawberry trifle…raspberry pudding and…"

"Hey stop, Nutty, you can't possibly eat so many things." Lifty said. Nutty gazed at him and paused.

"Ohhh yea, you're right. Just put down what I've said already." Nutty grinned.

"Sure." Giggles jotted something down on her notebook and turned to Lifty. "And you, mister?"

"Um…Spaghetti Bolognese."

"Okay. Food will be served in 20 minutes." Giggles informed and strode away.

Lifty's eyes flickered back to Nutty, who was still reading through the recipes. Every piece of dessert looked like a treasure to her. Her eyes were gleaming, full of hope and delight. Lifty smiled automatically at how endearing she was. Among all the girls he had dated before, this one was different. Completely different. She wasn't a normal girl. She didn't talk like a normal girl. Unlike some aggressive bitchy chicks, she was a spoiled child raised in a reserved Candyland. He had always thought she was just some crazy freak who liked fooling around and causing trouble all the time. But yea, she did sometimes cause trouble when she was on a candy hunt. Other times though, she was sweet and lovable. He wondered how long he was able to keep her, before she finally grew tired of their trade. Would she still find him? Would she still befriend him?

After they finished their lunch, they headed back to the cinema. The movie wasn't as bad as he anticipated. It was hilarious. Lifty bought Nutty popcorn and to his surprise, she devoured it all even before the film started playing. He had noticed her laugh was something distinctive. When she laughed, she did it with her whole heart. It was just like when she ate candy, she basically dedicated her entire heart into something that concerned her. She wouldn't care what others thought of her. She would just do it as long as it felt right to her. She had no regrets. No worries. Only happiness.

They were people from two completely different worlds. Lifty didn't have a family like hers to start with. His parents never cared much about him and Shifty. That explained why the two boys ended up becoming thieves. They stole things they needed. _Greedy. Vulgar. Inconsiderate._ These were the qualities they turned out to be. Abandoned and isolated from society, they wouldn't repent their sins. The sole thing in their mind was to become rich and powerful. Only then people would no longer look down on them. Nonetheless, the current situation clearly suggested that the twins were still far from who they wanted to be. All those effortless attempts to get wealthy seemed to keep backfiring and they always ended up paying a greater price. _Death. Imprisonment. Despised by everyone else in the town._

It started raining when they got out of the cinema.

"Oh…" Nutty looked up at the dark, grey sky.

"Damn, I don't have any umbrellas." Lifty pouted.

"Me neither…" Nutty said. "But my house isn't far from here. Maybe you can stop by and I shall lend you an umbrella?"

"What a good idea." Lifty smirked and off they ran in the rain to Nutty's house.

The moment she opened the door, an instantaneous sweet odor flushed Lifty. It seemed that every single air particle was embedded with sugar. Lifty stepped in and Nutty switched on the lights. The house was enormous, standing in great contrast to his crappy apartment. It could have been more spacious if Nutty didn't leave snacks lying everywhere. It was actually quite fascinating to see her crouch was of a donut shape. Her cushions were all in macaroon shapes. There were yellow, pink, blue, green and many other colors. The place looked lively on its own. The decors took various resemblances. There was a lollipop-shaped clock, a cupcake-like table and a jellybean-shaped chest. The wall paper was of green and yellow strips. The room looked welcoming and guest-friendly enough.

"Just take a seat and lemme find an umbrella." Nutty said.

Although the house was beautiful, it was messy. Apparently, Nutty wasn't the kind of girls that fancied cleaning and tidying. Piles of candy wrappers were stuffed randomly into the trash can. Some were left in corners. Lifty was amazed how there weren't rats and cockroaches lurking about. He took a quick look at a picture frame which showed Nutty and her parents. Her father was wearing a suit with a big smile on his face. He had blonde hair and emerald eyes. Her mother was wearing a plain white blouse, her green straight hair neatly combed and tied in a ponytail. The two looked normal enough. In the middle of the picture was Nutty. She looked much younger in the photo and Lifty was surprised to see her dressed in normal clothes. There were no candy-shaped accessories. No sign of sweets. And she didn't smile as hysterically as she usually did now. She wasn't even holding a candy in her hands! The picture was taken approximately ten years ago, probably when Nutty was about six or seven. Does that mean Nutty was not a sugar addict when she was small?

Crunching footsteps could be heard as Nutty stomped downstairs with an umbrella.

"Yay~ I found one in my drawer." She said. Just then, a deafening rumble pierced both of their ears. A lightening followed. The sky was now pitch-dark even though it was only five. Rain was pouring down like buckets of water.

"Huh?" Lifty looked at Nutty, who was crouching and hugging her knees, in confusion. Another lightening struck with roaring thunder.

"EEEKKK." Nutty shrieked and hid behind her donut-shaped sofa, wincing.

"Nutty, hey, are you alright?" Lifty walked to her and put his hand on her shoulder, almost making her jump.

"I-I…I don't like storm…" Nutty whimpered. "I w-want…mama…."

"B-But…"

Another booming came. It was so loud that the ground seemed to shake a little. With that, Nutty clutched Lifty tightly, burying her face into his chest. He could hear her sobbing silently and her body was quivering in fear. To make matters worse, before he could reassure her, the lights were out. The room went black all at once.

"O-Oh…no…" Nutty wailed.

"Calm down, Nutty. You're strangling me." Nutty loosened her grip around his neck and flinched. She curled up like a ball and cowered in one corner.

"Hey, it's alright. I'll go check the fuse box." Lifty said but she tugged his sleeves.

"N-No…please…don't leave me a-alone…papa…." She wept.

Lifty had no choice but to stay with her.

"I'm not your papa. I'm Lifty…" He murmured.

"S-Sorry…" Nutty cried. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back.

"So…you're scared of thunder?"

Nutty nodded.

"Why isn't your family home?"

Nutty didn't respond. Instead, she nestled her head on Lifty's shoulder. Still trembling, she wouldn't let go of his shirt. Rain was seeping through the window sills and wind was tapping fiercely at the glass. It looked as though everything could be shattered in any moment.

"T-They d-don't come back often…" Nutty suddenly said. It took Lifty a second to figure out she was actually answering his previous question. "T-They work abroad…They only come home during Christmas and Easter. O-Other times…I'm alone at home."

"And you can manage on your own?"

"Y-Yea…" Nutty cooed.

"Don't you get bored?"

"I-I do…but I have candies with me…When I'm bored, I will just eat them…When I'm scared, I also eat them…Candies are all I've got…They are sweet and they make me happy…"

It all came clear to Lifty then. Now he realized why she loved sugar so much. The sweetness was to fill up her mental loneliness. All these years without her parents around her, she was trapped in solitude. Candy was her sole company. It was her love. Her only reason to live on. Whenever she had the opportunity to laugh, she laughed it with her whole heart because her happiness didn't come as easily as it seemed. She could be faking it. All those smiles. All those giggles. They could be just a mask to conceal her lonesomeness. For once, he felt sorry for her. He knew well how it felt to be alone. When Shifty wasn't around him, he was like alone in this entire world. He didn't expect they would keep him in jail for more than two weeks. He had thought Shifty would be released in a few days or so. Obviously, Splendid must have convinced the authority to keep him imprisoned for longer than he deserved.

Minutes passed and then hours came. Soon, Lifty lost count of how long they had been snuggling up on the couch. Whenever a thunder crackled, Nutty would convulse with sheer fright. The sight of her quavering worried him. His words just wouldn't get into her ears. In the end, he decided to cover her ears with his hands, to save her from hearing the terrifying sounds. As the storm eased off a little, the place became calmer. The room was silent except for the rain outside and their own breaths. Lifty felt Nutty tilt her head and squirm beside him.

"Hey…you…alright now?"

She stared at him blankly. After a couple of seconds, she nodded.

"C-Can you get me a can of coke from the fridge?" Nutty burbled. "I-I….am t-thirsty…"

Lifty wasn't usually the type to do deeds for someone but this time, he felt like doing so. Weird as it was, he was desperate to help her get over with the stormy night. A scared Nutty wasn't normal at all. It was creepy...He wanted the cheerful Nutty back.

After she finished her coke, the thunder was gone. Lifty went to repair the fuse box and soon the lights came back on again. Nutty was beyond happy to see the lights fixed. She didn't like it dark. Most of the time, she hardly switched off the lights even when she went to sleep.

"Yay~~Now I can eat my candy in light again!" Nutty said joyfully and gave Lifty a swift hug.

"Do ya want to go home or stay here?"Nutty asked. "It's kinda dark outside. If I were you, I surely wouldn't walk home alone right now."

"So, it's okay if I stay here?"

"Yup, why not~ I hardly get any visitors around, hehehee." Nutty sniggered merrily and danced off. "I'm gonna take a candy bath now. There are some videos in the cupboard. You can watch movies if you have nothing better to do. Ohhhh, and don't eat my candies!"

"Fine." Lifty smirked. He turned around and crossed over a mountain of candy wrappers before stopping at the cupboard. He opened the door and immediately a stack of video games slammed on his face. He tumbled backwards with a soft cry.

"Geez, so she's addicted to video games too!" Lifty exclaimed. His eyes scanned through the collection and basically it was all comedy. As expected. He couldn't bring himself to watch any of these silly things so he turned on the television. The channel was playing some dumb band shows. Lifty grumbled before leaning back on the couch, arms under his head. He was beginning to doze off when a strong stream of sweetness stung his nose. He fluttered his eyes to Nutty, who was now in her flowery light-green pajamas. Every single part of her skin was radiating tempting odor.

"Holy shit, did you really bath in sugar?" Lifty glanced at her, agape.

"Huh? Is something w-wrong?"

"No." Not really, he was just flustered by the smell. All in all, it was great. She was like a living candy stick. At this point, he felt his heart beating fast again.

"Lifty, I don't think my pajamas will suit ya. So I will give you one of my papa's." Nutty said, handing a pair of blue pajamas to him. It took the boy a minute to react.

"O-Oh, thanks." Lifty sneaked away as quickly as he could because he didn't want Nutty to notice the blush on his face. It's not like she would notice that anyway. She was far too occupied with her midnight snacks. When Lifty came out from the shower, Nutty was still eating. After chewing the last piece of chocolate chip, she tossed the empty package to one corner. She reached out her hand to search for another snack, only to find that she had eaten all she had brought out from the kitchen. Letting out a small frustrated groan, she strayed back into the kitchen.

"Meh! No candies! No chips! No cakes!" Suddenly, Nutty squealed, her face twisted in grief. Lifty tried hard not to laugh at her funny expression. She began to jitter as she turned the house upside down in search for an extra snack. Seeing this, a wicked thought came into his mind.

"Nutty." He called out. The girl turned around reflexively. Her pupils constricted when she saw him wielding a pack of marshmallows.

"O-Ohhh! Marshmallows! YUMMY~~" Fervently, Nutty darted towards Lifty. Lifty dodged and held the snack further up in the air, causing the girl to look in awe.

"Heyyy…give me thattt!" She said, jumping to snatch it from him but he was taller.

"Wanna trade for something?" Lifty leered. Nutty stopped at once and stared at him.

"B-But…" Immediately, Nutty's face reddened and she took a step back, her eyes roaming over the furniture. "W-We just had a trade on Tuesday…."

"So? Does that matter?" Lifty pulled her to him. Her brows furrowed as she struggled in her mind whether to take the offer or not. Surely, she wanted that pack of marshmallows but she didn't feel like making out with Lifty tonight. She was sort of exhausted after the date in daytime and she just wanted a midnight snack to put herself into sleep.

"Come on." Lifty purred, stroking her hair. "You should've got used to it already. You get the candy and I get you."

"O…Okay." Eventually, she gave in to her desires for sugar. Lifty smiled and slipped the snack into her hands. He waited until she finished eating her marshmallow. Every bite now tasted somewhat different to her, though it was still sweet. She chewed the marshmallows uneasily, her heart banging against her chest rapidly. She could feel Lifty's eyes on her back. It embarrassed her every time he touched her. Still, a trade is a trade. She asked for it. She had vowed she would do anything for candy. When she was done, Lifty was already standing above her.

"Well? Bedroom or here? Where do you prefer, candy girl?" He grinned cunningly.

"U-Ummm…Can we do it tomorrow? Or the day after tomorrow?" Nutty bargained. "I'm sorta tired today."

"Normally I would say 'yes' but…" Lifty leaned in and kissed her, causing her to panic. "My little one can't wait any longer. You look so attractive in your pajamas, you know that?"

"N-No…" Nutty scowled, cringing. Lifty clutched her wrist and taunted. "I want you, Nutty. I want you tonight."

As usual, before Nutty could protest, Lifty had already intruded her. He kissed her passionately, unbuttoning her shirt at the same time. He was amused to see her wearing a bra underneath her pajamas. He had heard girls don't usually wear one. It was something he overheard from Giggles' conversation with Petunia in the café one day.

The same routine followed. He licked her skin, nibbled her lips, caressed her body and fondled her face. The night was longer than she could imagine. She muffled the same moans as he entered her. He smiled the same smile as he saw her enjoying herself. They cuddled each other the same way they often did as they approached their peak. Everything was just the same. _Her trade. His trade._ She got the candy. He got her body. And then, they both ended up panting and lying next to each other.

"Well, it may sound odd now but I think I love you." Lifty said.

Nutty looked at him, bewildered.

"You know what _'love'_ is, don't ya?"

"Yup….Is it like candy?"

"Haha…" Lifty tittered. "Yea, something like that. It's like how you love candy."

"R-Really? I love candy very very much!"

"I know…" Lift smirked and pecked at her forehead.

"Lifty, I'm really tired now. Can we go to sleep?" Nutty said rubbing her eyes like a child.

"Yes, sure." He said, hugging her tightly and they both fell asleep.


	3. Broken Truth

A week after the stormy night, Shifty was released from the prison. The younger twin was beyond happy to meet his brother again. Shifty, indeed, was furious because he had spent three weeks in jail alone.

"Hey, don't be mad at me. It was your idea to rob the store in the first place." Lifty tittered, putting his arm around Shifty's shoulder.

"Shut the fuck up." Shifty shot his twin a threatening glare but Lifty did not budge.

"Come on, I can't even count how many times you've left me dying and I was never mad at you." Lifty said. Somehow, Shifty felt slightly remorseful. It was true. He had abandoned Lifty a dozen times and each time he resurrected from his death the next day, he never complained about it. They were both greedy as hell and when it came to saving his own life, Shifty would doubtlessly resort to sacrifice Lifty. Lifty, on the other hand, was often soft enough to forgive his brother, even after that time he tossed him out of a hot-air balloon.

"So, how did you manage on your own?" Shifty pouted, his anger easing off. Lifty giggled.

"What's so funny." Shifty gave him a playful punch.

"Nothing. You think I can't survive without you?" Lifty scoffed.

"I kind of expect you to die when I ain't around."

"Non-sense. I'm more independent than you think." Lifty said. "So, how was it being in jail?"

"Errrr….." Shifty growled. "Don't mention it."

"Okay."

"So, what've you been doing lately?"

Lifty froze at Shifty's question. Of course, he couldn't tell him he had been trading with Nutty, especially the kind of trade they had was rather unusual. Lifty didn't want Shifty to know he had fallen in love with Nutty either. He would definitely laugh at him. A sudden raspy squeal disrupted Lifty's train of thoughts, nearly making him jump.

"L-Lifty~!" The voice was too familiar to filter it out. Instinctively, Lifty turned around to see Nutty waving at him hyperactively. She blundered towards him, with a lollipop in her mouth. She didn't tie her hair into two pigtails as usual. Instead, she let it hang down her shoulders. There was a new donut-shaped hair clip stuck on her bangs and she was wearing a green dress with marshmallow prints.

"Is t-that Nutty?" Shift squinted as Nutty bounced onto his brother, hugging him enthusiastically. "What the fuck?" Shifty stared in shock, agape. He could hardly believe his eyes. Nutty was standing on her toes, her face leaning ever so close to Lifty's.

"Heyyyy, Lifty, I happen to have run out of candy again. Can we trade now? P-Pleaseeee?" Nutty pleaded with her puppy eyes. Her cute, charming smile made Lifty blush in embarrassment.

"Woooah, wait, what on earth is going on between you two?" Shifty clasped Nutty's hair and yanked her backwards, making her cry in pain.

"Stop it, Shifty. Don't pull her like that." Lifty accused anxiously.

"S-Shifty?!" Nutty widened her eyes in astonishment. "S-Sorry, I didn't spot you here."

"That's okay." Shifty scowled at her and then averted his eyes to Lifty, apparently waiting for a reasonable explanation.

"Um…well, you see, when you weren't here, I became friends with Nutty." Lifty fumbled, hoping his secret wouldn't leak out.

"Oh." Shifty took a brisk glimpse of Nutty, who just stood there with a confused expression. "And the trade? What's with the trade?"

Lifty looked at Nutty and then back at Shifty again. By then, he heart was pounding fast. He could feel his cheeks burning. _No..._ He kept reminding himself not to blurt out the truth. But it seemed useless when Shifty was gazing at him full of impatience and suspicion.

"I..er…"

"Well, Lifty always trades with me when I run out of candy!" Nutty answered, making Lifty panic. "He will give me many snacks and in return I will…"

Before Nutty could continue, Lifty clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Huh?" Shifty raised his brows. Lifty gave one of his trademark snickers. "Heheee, she will give me cash."

"Eh?" Nutty frowned. Lifty shushed her, his eyes sending her a warning signal as if he wanted her to shut up right there.

"Damn it, so you're doing all these trades when I ain't around, eh? How cheeky!"

"So? You were in jail. I still have to live my life, right? I gotta earn some money."

"Yea, yea, right." Shifty rolled his eyes and started walking away. Lifty removed his hand from Nutty's mouth and followed his twin.

"W-Wait…Lifty! W-What about the candy?" Nutty tugged his sleeves and asked. Lifty sighed and shoved her away. Staggering backwards, the girl tripped over something and fell onto the ground.

"I don't have time for that right now, Nutty." Lifty said. He tried to help her up but when Shifty called out to him, he jammed his hands back into his pockets.

"It's okay. You can just give me the candy." Nutty said, her emerald eyes begging.

"Sorry." Was all Lifty said. With that, he turned away from her and left.

Shifty observed his twin cautiously, trying to comprehend his abnormal behavior. It's not like they could read each other's mind but they could most definitely sense each other's emotional changes. Lifty's expression after he encountered Nutty was basically priceless. He kept looking back as if he wanted to go back to Nutty. When they arrived home, Shifty asked if they were going to have lunch. Lifty, completely absent-minded, did not even bother to answer Shifty. He was pacing restlessly back and forth in the living room.

"Now, what the hell is going on? Do you hear me, Lifty?" Shifty asked, crossing his arms. After three weeks of hellish life in jail, he couldn't wait to eat something normal. His stomach was growling and his brother just didn't seem to notice his hunger.

"LIFTY!" Shifty stomped towards his twin and shook him violently until he snapped him out of his thoughts. Whatever Lifty was pondering he was putting his entire mind into it. The way his brows furrowed suggested something was troubling him. Shifty wondered if something had happened when he wasn't around but Lifty surely did not look like he was going to tell the truth.

"Oh, what's it again, Shift?" Lifty peered Shifty and shrugged.

"Like I was asking if we should have lunch right now. I'm STARVING." Shifty grunted. "Can you get me something delicious, my dear bro. I haven't had ordinary lunch for weeks!"

"Um…okay. We have some pasta here. Do you want me to cook for ya?" Lifty offered.

"No, we're going out for lunch." Shifty said.

"I can't."

"What?"

"I mean…" Lifty scratched his neck uncomfortably. "Sorry, I just happen to have something undone. Can I have dinner with you instead? You go on and have lunch on your own."

"Huh? What?" Before Shifty could stop him, Lifty had already rushed out of the house.

"What the heck is wrong with him?!" Shifty snarled, annoyed.

He kicked the door angrily and looked around the house. Immediately, he was taken aback by surprise. The house….their home…looked…so oddly tidy. Cleaning was never Lifty's cup of tea. The twins never bothered with the chores. Very often, they just left things lying everywhere. And what puzzled Shifty more was this funny odor. The entire apartment smelled of….

"Candy?!" Shifty exclaimed. He kept sniffing until he was certain the smell came from the kitchen. He barged in and almost dropped his jaws. The shelves, the cupboards, the tables and every single corner available were flooded with snacks, mostly sweets and lollipops. Shifty opened the fridge and instantly gasped at the sight of ice-cream and puddings.

"What the…" Shifty rummaged through the drawers. Chocolate bars. Macaroons. Cakes. Caster sugar. Coconut milk. Honey. Jelly beans.

"And he said there's pasta…?" Shifty was beyond irate to find his house completely out of food he could eat. Everything was…sugar…sugar…_Where's the meat?_

"Wait. Why is he keeping all these in our flat?" Shifty rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He didn't plan to interrogate Lifty in the first place but now things were getting tricky. He recalled the scene where Nutty embraced Lifty like they were some sort of lovers and he remembered Lifty looking back constantly to check on Nutty after they left her. His expression when he was trying to conceal something got on Shifty's nerves. Apparently, even a fool could figure out all these snacks only appealed to one person in the town. That is, Nutty.

Nutty was lingering aimlessly in the alleyway when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around abruptly and was relieved to see it was Lifty.

"Hey…sorry about that. I couldn't talk much with you when Shifty's around." Lifty said.

"It's o-okay." Nutty lowered her head and muttered. Lifty bent down to examine her face. Tears were trickling down her cheeks.

"Gosh, what's wrong? What happened, Nutty?" Lifty asked, wiping off her tears with his fingers.

"I-I've swallowed my last piece of candy for this week…" Nutty wept. The boy sighed and cuddled her.

"There's nothing to cry about. I'll always give you candy when you want it." Swiftly, Lifty slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a pack of gummy bears. "Sorry, I came out in a rush. I have some more back at home. I'll give you more later this afternoon."

"Why, it's candyyyyyyyy!" Nutty began to jitter as soon as she saw the gums. Merrily, she hugged Lifty and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks a lot, Lifty! You m-made my day."

Lifty grinned and sat down with her in one corner. He watched her start her feast. He chuckled as she swallowed the food as though there was no tomorrow. He placed his arm around her and pulled her close to him.

"Here." Nutty shoved a piece of gummy bear to Lifty's lips, trying to feed him. The boy snickered and opened his mouth. Nutty plopped down and lay on Lifty's lap. She was perking up and he was staring down at her. The moment their eyes met, Lifty couldn't help but bend down to plant a kiss on her. He ruffled her long green hair with yellow streaks. She looked so adorable with her hair down. When they withdrew from their kiss, they were both flushing.

"Well, your lips taste like gummy bears." Lifty teased.

"So do yours." Nutty taunted. With that, they kissed again.

"We probably can't do it here." Lifty said. "Not at my home either."

"Why?" Nutty asked, her eyes blinking with curiosity.

"Because now that Shifty's home, we can't let him know our trade. We'll have to do it at your house."

"O-Okay." Nutty smiled sheepishly.

"I'll see you around later." Lifty gave Nutty a light kiss on the forehead and left her another pack of jelly tots.

"O-Okay!" Nutty nodded submissively.

"Good girl." Lifty purred and got up. He waved her good-bye and left.

A couple of minutes later, a figure loomed into the alleyway. Nutty was cowering in one corner munching her gums when she suddenly realized someone was standing above her. She caught sight of the fedora and gasped.

"L-Lifty isn't here…He's gone." Nutty informed nervously. She avoided making eye-contact with the fierce guy who was looking daggers at her. His menacing glance frightened her but she managed not to panic. She could feel butterflies twirling in her stomach. Why didn't he leave already? Lifty wasn't here!

"I know. I saw him coming out just now." Shifty said, his voice hoarse and deep.

"I-Is something wrong?" Nutty stammered.

"And I heard your conversation." Shifty said nonchalantly. "What the fuck are you doing to my brother?"

"H-Huh?"

Before Nutty could say another word, Shifty clutched her arms and pulled her up. "Now tell me, what's this trade you two are talking about?"

"W-What?"

"Answer me. What kind of trade are you in with Lifty?" Shifty questioned, pushing the trembling girl to one corner.

"I-It's….nu-nutting!" Nutty said and flinched. Annoyed, Shifty snatched the pack of gums from her hands. The candy lover immediately wailed.

"G-Give me back!" Nutty winced, flailing her arms wildly. Shifty clasped both of her wrists and pinned her on the wall.

"Tell me what's going on between you and Lifty. Then I'll give you back your gums." Shifty bellowed.

"I…L-Lifty said y-you shouldn't know about it." Nutty wept, struggling to break free from Shifty.

"Exactly. I knew he wouldn't tell me so I'm asking you. Do you think I'm stupid?" Shifty tightened his grip. Nutty sniveled, tears forming in her eyes.

"P-Please g-give me back my candy and l-let me goooo…" Nutty begged. Shifty did not give in. He was determined to know the truth.

"Say it or I'm going to throw this away." Shifty warned. He wielded the snack in the air and eyed the trash bin next to him.

"F-Fine...Fine! I-I'll tell you." Nutty sobbed. Shifty smirked and let go of her hands. Quickly, she rubbed her eyes and sniffled.

"You didn't really pay Lifty cash, did you?" Shifty asked.

"N-No…" Nutty shook her head, blushing.

"What did you trade with him for candy?"

"U-Um…" By then, Nutty could hardly fight back the embarrassment. Still blushing, she mumbled quietly. "W-We…er…we kiss…"

"That is?" Shifty lifted one of his brows warily. Nutty turned away and fiddled with her fingers.

"We…er…have 'sex'…"

"What?" Shifty leaned closer, trying to grasp the word clearly. For a second, he thought he heard the word 'sex'!

"We have sex…" Nutty confirmed. Nope, Shifty didn't mishear it. She did say 'sex'!

"What the fuck?" Shifty stumbled backwards in shock. "It's not funny, okay?

"I-I'm not joking. P-Please give me back my gums…" Nutty cried.

"Are you in love with my brother?"

"W-What?"

"I say, are you in love with Lifty?" Shifty asked.

"I-I er…"

"Never mind." Shifty rolled his eyes and mocked. "So, while I was away, instead of jerking off himself, that sissy actually got himself a sex partner! Ha, I see some progress here."

"What…sex partner?"

"You two aren't actually dating, right? You know, the usual staff normal couples do. He only asks you for sex, eh?"

"I-I…don't know…" Nutty stuttered with her quavering voice.

"For God's sake, is there something you actually know? Are you sure you have 'sex' with Lifty?"

"W-Well…he told me it's called 'sex'."

"Yea, right, like he really got into your pants."

"He did."

Shifty gawked at Nutty with his mouth gaped open. He couldn't believe it. If what Nutty said was true, it had to be the most ridiculous thing he had ever heard. The last thing he wanted to know was his brother fucking a crazy sugar addict.

"I mean it. Nutty, did Lifty really stick his cock inside your pussy?"

Nutty pondered for a moment, mostly because she didn't understand the words 'cock' and 'pussy'. She wondered what they stand for.

"I-I'm not sure what y-you're talking about, but Lifty does…er…" Nutty paused before pointing at Shifty's crotch. The boy backed away, thunderstruck. "Yea, right there. There's something between his legs. He said when that thing gets into a girl's private area, it's called 'sex'."

"Oh crap." Shifty grumbled. "That is. I'm out of here. I've heard enough." He flung his hands in the air frantically. "I can't believe it. Gosh, Nutty, you don't happen to think Lifty's truly in love with you, eh?"

"H-He s-said he is…" Nutty replied.

"Look, I don't always meddle in my brother's love affairs but you really look like you know nothing at all! How many times has Lifty fucked you?"

"T-That's out of q-question…" Nutty flushed and looked down at the ground.

"Once? Twice? Five times?"

"N-No…" Nutty denied. She started counting her fingers and then came up with the final number. "Seven or eight maybe."

Shifty blinked blankly at Nutty, his eyes full of hollowness. "You've got to be kidding me. I was away for three weeks and you two have already done it so…frequently? OH MY GOSH. OH MY GOSH."

"P-Please…can you give me back my gummy bears…" Nutty cooed.

"Yea yea, take back your things, freak. I have no idea what's got into my freaky brother's brain. Fucking someone like you. Ha! Geez, it's disgusting as hell." Shifty hurled the candy at Nutty's face. She muffled a moan as the package hit her and glared at Shifty.

"Don't look at me with those crazy eyes of yours." Shifty snorted. "I've never seen a girl as stupid as you. Stop fantasizing impossible things. If you take my word, Lifty doesn't actually love you. He's just using you. In case you still don't get it, 'sex partner' is someone you keep only for sex. Nothing more. You two aren't even lovers. Well, I'm not against your trade but don't fucking call my brother out when I'm trying to have lunch with him!"

Nutty tumbled backwards, astound. The more she tried to process Shifty's words, the more uncomfortable she got. Those sentences struck her like a bomb. All at once, Nutty seemed to have realized something but was still not quite certain of it. 'Stupid', 'crazy', 'freak', sex partner'….All those insulting remarks swam in her head. They stung and scarred her heart. They were probably something she would definitely die to keep out of her ears. What was this horrible sensation she felt when Shifty asserted that Lifty didn't love her? What was this shameful, degrading feeling she had when Shifty regarded her merely as Lifty's 'sex partner'? And most importantly…why were tears spilling out of her eyes uncontrollably?

It was not her first time to be humiliated. She had had it all the time. People called her names, thought she was a freak and teased her for being a hysterical sugar addict…But she could always care less. This time though, she felt unexpectedly mortified. The insult was excruciating, so awful that she would rather wish it was just another nightmare in a stormy night.

She watched as Shifty disappeared from the alleyway. She was left alone again. She cried and cried. She got back her gums but she wasn't happy at all. All those heartless, brutal criticisms from Shifty were tearing her apart. She stuffed a few gummy bears into her mouth in an attempt to cease crying. No…it wouldn't help. The candy tasted bitter when mixed with her tears. She felt terrible. It was as though someone had just shot her with a gun or stabbed her with a knife.

"Nu-Nutty?"

A soft voice whispered. Nutty looked up with her puffy eyes.

"W-What happened?" Flaky darted towards the sobbing girl and hugged her immediately. "Nutty…why are you crying?"

She was one of Nutty's very few friends who actually cared genuinely about her. Falling into Flaky's warm embrace, Nutty cried even louder.

"Shhh…it's alright, Nu-Nutty…" Flaky rubbed Nutty's back tenderly and reassured her. "If you've dropped your candy…w-we'll get y-you another one…"

Nutty didn't say a word. She buried her face into Flaky's sweater and continued blubbering. It took Flaky almost half an hour to finally calm Nutty down. When she eventually cleaned off her tears, Flaky looked at Nutty full of concern.

"Nutty…is there something troubling you?" She asked. "Y-You know I-I'll always help you…as long as I'm capable of doing so."

"I-It's okay…Flaky…Th-Thank you…" Nutty forced a smile. The ache in her heart gradually drifted away as she saw Flaky's caring eyes. She grinned back at her and patted on her head. "I'm g-gonna have t-tea with P-Petunia and Giggles. Wanna c-come?"

"C-Can I?"

"Of course, why not?" Flaky chuckled.

Flaky was the only girl who would bother to get close to Nutty. The town didn't have many female populations to start with. Petunia and Giggles were two inseparable best friends. Lammy was another girl but she was rather anti-social due to her butler Mr. Pickles who basically followed her everywhere. Apart from Flaky, Nutty hardly had any female companions. Not to mention most girls in the town weren't quite impressed by her sugar addiction. They never invited her over for tea or anything. Nutty wondered if it was the best option to tag along with Flaky. What might happen if Petunia and Giggles spotted her? Would they be mad at Flaky for bringing her to their tea party?

"Come on, Nu-Nutty. We will have fun together." Flaky grabbed Nutty's hand and started strolling down the road.

When the two girls arrived at the café, Petunia and Giggles were already waiting inside. Timidly, Flaky pushed open the glass door and led Nutty in.

"Hehee…Sorry, girls…"

"What's taken you so…" Petunia trailed off as soon as she saw Nutty. Giggles raised her brows, rather puzzled.

"Emm…hello Petunia…Giggles…" Nutty greeted, snuggling behind Flaky's back.

"Oh hi, Nutty." Petunia and Giggles smiled, pretty much out of Nutty's anticipation.

"So, is Nutty gonna have tea with us?" Giggles asked.

"Yes, surely she will." Flaky said and dragged Nutty to the seat.

"B-But I have something…you know…" Petunia bent over and whispered softly. "Secret to talk about."

"Oh, that will be alright. Your secrets will be safe with Nutty." Flaky assured. "Plus, it's a girls' talk, isn't it? Nutty is a girl so we can trust her."

"Er…okay…" Petunia flopped back in her seat reluctantly.

The girls skimmed through the menu and quickly picked their food. Nutty doubtlessly had opted for a dessert.

"Nutty, sometimes I really wish I were you." Giggles said.

"Huh?"

"Like you always eat so many sugary things and you never gain any pounds!" Giggles laughed.

"Well, someone's just jealous, haha. We all know Nutty was born to be a sugar addict." Petunia winked. "And Giggles, you're a manizer."

"Hey, I take that as an insult!" Giggles pouted and nudged Petunia playfully.

"So, as I was saying, we're gonna talk about something secret today." Petunia cleared her throat and said.

"Yea? Such as?"

"Gosh! Please congratulate me! We've finally done it! You know, Handy and me."

"W-What?" Flaky tilted her head, baffled.

"Ugh…she means they have finally managed to make love." Giggles explained.

"Ohhhhhh…" Flaky lay back in her chair and blushed. "That's…awesome…"

"Yea, I thought you wouldn't even let him touch you. You're such a clean-freak after all." Giggles said.

"Look, 'sex' is essential in a relationship. I must admit it's dirty! But again, if you love someone enough, you're willing to give up your own standard sometimes. Just for a short while of course." Petunia boasted.

"Sure, how did you two do it? He doesn't even have hands!" Giggles tittered. Irritated, Petunia pinched her. "Ouch!"

"You deserve that, Giggles." Flaky sneered.

"How about you, Flaky?" Giggles turned her face to Flaky, now targeting her. "You and Flippy, oh, or more precisely, Fliqpy. Which one of the duo have you tackled?"

"Errr…that's…that's…" Flaky covered her face bashfully and rambled. "I…er…we…er…I…"

"Great, we won't get anywhere if you don't open your mind to us." Giggles grunted.

"As if she's as open-minded as you." Petunia said sarcastically. Giggles gritted her teeth and glared at the bluette. "You and Cuddles basically do it every day, right?"

"Oh shut up." Giggles placed her palm over Petunia and the two girls started attacking each other teasingly.

"Um…I-I have a q-question to ask…" Nutty murmured. The other three girls all halted and turned to ogle her.

"Do you want to say something, Nutty?" Giggles asked. "Oh yea, do you, by any chance, have a boyfriend too?"

"I…um…I just wanna ask what did you trade for…sex?"

"Huh?" Now, they were all goggling Nutty inquisitively, trying hard to comprehend her utterance.

"What do you mean, Nu-Nutty?" Flaky asked.

"F-Flaky…wh-what did you trade with Flippy for sex? And Giggles, what did Cu-Cuddles give you for having s-sex with him? Pe-Petunia…w-what made you give y-your first time to Handy? Was the t-trade really worth it?"

A long moment of awkward silence took over the place. Nutty's heart was thumping. She didn't know how she got the courage to ask such bold questions. Her buddies were all staring at her as if she was a…a _freak_… Did she say something wrong again? Why were they looking at her that way? She was just desperate to know what they had traded for sex.

"N-Nutty…" After a few seconds, Flaky purred. "A-are you alright?"

"Yea…whatever you're talking about. What's it? What trade?" Giggles butted in.

"Girl, is something wrong?"

"D-Don't you all trade something for sex?" Nutty asked.

"What?" Petunia exclaimed. "No! Nutty, 'sex' is something you do with someone you love. You don't trade anything for it. It's a mutual comfort. A mutual need. You do it to satisfy each other's physical desires and to show how much you love that person…"

"You mean…you never use 'sex' to pay for anything…" Nutty said. She could feel her hands shaking.

Petunia and Giggles exchanged a grimace before shaking their head. "N-Nope…It's not shopping in a supermarket, Nutty. You don't pay something with 'sex'. As said, you only have sex with someone you love. There are, of course, people who do it with many different people. Some prefer one nights' stand. But no, 'sex' isn't generally for trade. If you must say it's a trade, it's more like prostitution."

"Pro-st-stitution?"

"Yup, prostitution is what sluts do. Only whores fuck every guy they meet. Sluts fuck for money. Men pay them money and have sex with them. That's called prostitution…"

"So…no one trades sex f-for candy…right?" Nutty stammered, feeling tears in her eyes again.

"No…Nutty, why are you crying?" Flaky asked worriedly. "What's happened?"

"Yes, Nutty, what's wrong?" Giggles and Petunia also leaned forwards. "You look rather different these days…What's going on with you? Are you…"

"No…it can't be…" Nutty shivered and whimpered. "H-He said it's perfectly normal f-for people to have sex in a trade. He said so…He said many people trade sex for what they crave for…So he lied…he lied to me!"

"Nutty! Who's this guy you're talking about? Who has lied to you?" By then, Flaky started convulsing along with Nutty. She was throwing all sorts of questions at the candy girl but Nutty was too unhinged to speak.

"Geez, something's definitely wrong." Petunia stood up and walked over to soothe Nutty. Giggles also handed her a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

"I…I…I've got to go…" Hastily, Nutty stood up. Just then, something fell out of her pocket. Flaky picked it up and gulped.

"Nutty, where did you get these?" Flaky inquired, stunned.

"Let me see." Giggles snatched the white package from Flaky and immediately, her eyes bulged.

"What's it?"

"I-It's nothing. I-It's just some candy I g-got from a friend…" Nutty said.

"It's no candy, Nutty." Flaky glanced at Nutty in horror.

"N-No?"

"It's…birth-control pills…"

"Holy shit, who gave you these?" Petunia asked, almost hyperventilating. She began scrubbing her arms unconsciously.

"B-Birth…what?"

"Nutty, do you know what birth-control pills are?"

The innocent girl shook her head.

"It's something you take to avoid getting pregnant." Flaky explained. "You know, getting pregnant means having babies. You get babies when you have sex with someone after marriage."

Nutty stared at Flaky speechlessly. Her mind went blank when she heard of the word 'babies'. So, that's what 'sex' is all about! How could she be so…foolish? If she had taken interest in the outside world and learnt things other than candy, she wouldn't have ended up the way she was right now. She would have known better 'sex' is only reserved for someone she truly loves, someone who's supposed to be her husband, someone with whom she will spend the rest of her life with. It's not for trade… Sex is not for trade…

"Nutty, answer me, are you okay?" Flaky shook Nutty's shoulders repeatedly, trying to earn a response from her. Nutty tensed up the moment she heard the chiming bells. The glass door swung open and Lifty stepped in.

"Geez, I've been looking everywhere for you, Nutty. I thought you were home." As soon as they heard Lifty's voice, the girls all turned to leer at him.

"Er…Nutty?" Lifty called out, trying to ignore other faces and approach Nutty. He stopped in front of her and realized she was crying. The boy glared at Flaky, then at Petunia and Giggles as though thy were responsible for making his lover cry. They all frowned at him disdainfully.

"Now, if someone cares to tell me, what the hell is going on here?" Lifty asked. He tried to take Nutty's hand but she smacked him. Right across his face.

"Lifty, did you give these pills to Nutty?" Flaky interrogated and showed him the pills. Lifty widened his eyes and looked at Nutty.

"W-What? Did you tell…"

"So it was you." Petunia concluded. "You've been manipulating Nutty to make her hook up with you."

"Oh my dear dear god, what have you done to her?" Giggles shouted, almost fainting.

The boy's heart skipped a beat as he felt Nutty's eyes fixated on him. Slowly, he turned around and faced her. Her orbs were filled with sheer grudge and sorrow. Somewhere, deep inside his heart, he knew his world was crumbling down.

She had learnt the truth. The whole truth.

She now knew he had been tricking her all along. She had figured out the trade between them was ever so immoral and forbidden.

"N-Nutty…I…"

"This…" Nutty said dolefully, throwing a pack of jelly tots at Lifty. "I d-don't need this anymore…I hate it…I h-hate you!"

With torrents of tears cascading down her cheeks, Nutty scooted out of the café.

"Nutty!" Lifty yelped, his eyes getting watery all at once.

But no. She didn't turn back again. She never did.

* * *

**Lifty: Oh no, why am I such a bastard here? *face-palms* Can't someone make me a better person in this story? Please?**  
**Flaky: Because you are fit for this character.**  
**Lifty: Why? How about Shifty? He's even more devious than me!  
Shifty: What the fuck? I don't fall in love with Nutty, okay?  
****Flaky: If it's Shifty in this story, I think...Nutty is probably...dead by now.  
Shifty: *Interrogates* What's that supposed to mean, huh?  
****Lifty:...Speaking of Nutty, where's she?  
****Nutty: *Pops out and sobs* I hate you, Lifty.  
****Lifty: *Tries to take her hand but she cringes* Hey, I didn't mean to...  
****Nutty: *Runs off*  
****Giggles: *Snorts* What a bastard.  
****Lifty: What? Me?  
****Petunia: Who else?  
Lifty: At least let me explain...*begins to cry*  
Flaky: Save your defense for next chapter.**

***A/N* Ohhhh, and please review :D May update a bit later 'cause I'm having 3 tests in this week. **


	4. Bitterness

Lifty flung open the door so hard that the glass almost cracked and shattered. Everyone gasped in silence as the boy bolted out of the café. He ran and ran, his eyes searching desperately for a familiar figure. Every step he took sent fright towards his heart. He had never in his entire life felt so petrified and appalled. He tried his best to hold back his tears but those pearl-shaped liquids kept flowing out of his luminous eyes uncontrollably and smearing his cheeks. The reddened spot caused by Nutty's previous slap ached with burning pain. She must have smacked him with all her might. It only proved how exasperated and upset she was. He knew well she probably loathed him to death right now but he couldn't stop chasing after her. He had to, at least, have a word with her.

He caught sight of her in the crowd. He shouted out her name. As soon as she heard his voice, she fled. He pushed through the crowd and ran after her, whimpering all the way through. He apologized repeatedly and begged her to stop. She, of course, didn't. She didn't even bother to hear what he was saying. She covered her ears with her hands, shaking her head vigorously as tears soaked her face. His words were meaningless to her at this point. They wouldn't help comfort her. The thought of him using her only to fulfill his own sexual desires tormented her. She felt betrayed, deceived and…mortified. She only had herself to blame for her ignorance and stupidity. She had been taken for granted for three weeks and she hadn't known it until now. Everyone must think she was the biggest idiot ever. And she was. She wished she hadn't learnt the truth though. It was simply unendurable. It now occurred to her that he had never wanted to befriend her. He just wanted her body. The type of trade he offered her was nothing but a treacherous, wicked trick. And yet, she complied with it. _How ghastly…_

"Nutty! Please…Stop!" Lifty wailed, almost catching her but her hand slipped from his grip. "Nutty!"

She halted. She was standing on her porch now.

"P-Please…" Lifty wheezed. "Can we…"

"Go away." Nutty said. She had long lost the ability to fight back. Her voice was dry and she felt sick. "I don't want to see you again."

"Nutty, would you please… listen to me?" Lifty pleaded. The girl still had her back facing him. She didn't turn around. Instead, she turned the knob and strode in. Before Lifty could do anything, she shut and latched the door behind her. Helplessly, the boy rang the bell in an attempt to bring her out again, only to make the girl more livid than ever.

"GO AWAY! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I FUCKING HATE YOU!" Nutty cursed mercilessly. She squealed and howled until she lost her voice. She wept and lamented until her eyes were drained of tears. She tossed things around the house, hit herself with the walls and kicked everything that came in her way. The boy staggered backwards. Even though he couldn't see through the door, he knew what she was doing inside. She was hurting herself deliberately to make him leave. Soon, she gave up screaming and trudged away from the door. She dashed upstairs and locked herself in her room. Lifty lingered around for a little longer before he decided to leave her alone.

* * *

Lifty threw himself onto the couch, burying his face in his hands. Shifty stood still gazing at his brother. He had no idea what was going on. A second ago, Lifty just barged into the house with a face as pale as a piece of sheet. His eyes were red and his clothes were completely disarrayed. It looked as though he had been mugged himself or got caught by Splendid.

"Hey, what's happened?" Shifty nudged his twin, who was lying lifelessly like a corpse.

"Stay away, please. I don't wanna talk right now." Lifty sobbed.

"What…Are you crying?" Shifty prodded Lifty with his fingers.

"Just shut up, won't you?" Lifty sat up and bawled.

"Shit, what the fuck is wrong with you? You look awful…" Shifty took a few steps back and gasped.

"I lost her…"

"What?"

"She knew what I did to her. She now hates me to death…" Lifty continued rambling. It took Shifty a moment to figure out whom he was referring to.

"Lift, is this a joke? You and Nutty aren't seriously dating, are you? She's only your sex partner, right?"

Lifty widened his eyes and glared at his brother, befuddled. He stood up abruptly and grabbed Shifty's collar. "H-How did you…find out…"

"Well, I caught you two in the alleyway. When you left, I talked to her."

"What?" Lifty shrieked and brought Shifty closer to him. "What did you say to her?"

"H-Hey…easy there…I should be the one asking you questions." Shifty shoved Lifty away. "Did you actually fuck Nutty? I mean, I'm not against your trade. I must admit it's rather creative. I've never thought of trading something for sex. Yeah, if that's a hot chick we're talking about, I have no problems with it. But Nutty? That freak? What were you thinking?"

Lifty tensed up the moment Shifty mentioned Nutty's name. The next thing he knew, he was punching his brother like a feral animal. He clasped Shifty's hair and pinned him on the wall before kicking his guts so hard that he coughed blood. He then let go of Shifty and watched him collapse to the ground moaning, hugging his stomach.

"So…this is what you told her?" Lifty stuttered, balling his hands into fists. He was both infuriated and depressed. He knew venting his anger on his brother wouldn't help bring Nutty back to him. Still, he was mad. _Utterly mad._ Shifty had no right to address Nutty as a freak or as Lifty's sex partner. For one thing he was almost certain about, he truly loved her. He wouldn't argue that he had used her to fulfill his needs but he didn't merely treat her as a tool. He had fallen in love with her long before he realized it. Otherwise, he wouldn't keep trading with her. He enjoyed every moment they spent together, not only the sex part.

"You told Nutty that I only treated her as my sex partner?" Lifty interrogated, raising his husky voice. Shifty groaned and crawled to one corner, placing his hands over his bleeding mouth.

"Fuck you! What the hell is wrong with you?" Shifty yowled.

"Answer me! What did you tell Nutty?!"

"Yes! YES!" Shifty bellowed. "I told her you only treat her as your sex partner, okay? Well, it's true, isn't it? I don't see why you have to get so mad about it! She's a freak, man. If you want to fuck somebody, the least you can do is to find someone better than a crazy sugar addict!"

"Damn you!" Lifty screeched. "Why on the fucking earth did you have to talk to her? WHY?!"

"W-What…What do you mean why…?" Shifty backed away, startled. He had never seen Lifty so agitated and distraught before. Somehow, it felt wrong. It just felt horrible to witness his younger twin crying and shuddering.

"Yes, I fucked her, so? I love her! And screw you! Now she'll never forgive me!"

Shifty stared at Lifty incredulously.

"And…I've tricked her. It's because I want to keep her. Now that she knows everything, she's never going to see me again…" Lifty whined and stomped upstairs, leaving Shifty in sheer shock.

* * *

Nutty wrapped herself with a blanket and squatted in one corner of the room. Darkness enveloped her. She didn't switch on the lights because she hadn't moved from her position for the past three hours. She just stayed there. If she hadn't been nictitating and breathing, one might even think she was dead. _She felt dead, in fact._ Someone might as well puncture her heart and gouge it out from her body. Death would be a more reassuring option. She just couldn't figure out how to deal with a broken heart. Every now and then, whenever she shut her eyes, the most abhorrent face would pop up in her head. She could never shake that image of him out of her mind. He was crying and chasing her down the road. She, however, reminded herself it was yet another trick. Of course, he was guilty. He ought to be. But if he thought shredding some tears could make her forgive him, he was wrong. She wouldn't let herself fall into the same trap again.

As the night closed in, she was completely worn-out. She tried to sleep but failed. Every time she rolled on her bed, the past memories just kept striking her. When she turned around and found that Lifty wasn't lying beside her, she began to break down into tears again. _It's no good at all._ Even in her own bed, she couldn't sleep. She had got accustomed to him staying overnight. She missed his touch…his kisses…his voice…and everything. The empty spot next to her only suggested that she was now alone again, like she always had been before she met him. There was simply no one to cure her insomnia, no one to comfort her and no one to sing her a lullaby. She could still feel his essence wandering about and she hated it. She hated him. She gripped a pillow and cuddled it, only to realize his scent was left present. She tossed the pillow away. No, she didn't want to think of him. _Not anymore._ She would be fine on her own. She needed no one to cling to. She had always been alone in the past and she had never felt this miserable. Everything started off when she met him, when they had their first unique trade. It's all his fault. His damn fault.

She had no idea how long it took her to finally doze off. When the morning came several hours later, she pried open her eyes again. She tried to go back to sleep but the migraine was afflicting her. She leapt out of bed and wobbled towards the washroom. She took a few tablets of painkillers and bathed in cold water. The extreme coldness revived her intact senses, also reminding her she was still alive. She wondered why…She should have just killed herself. She felt so…bleak…As she started to rinse herself with cold water, she shivered in tears. She started scrubbing her skin manically. She could still feel his touch on every part of her body. Every spot that had been touched by him, she wanted to rub it clean. Before she realized it, her limbs were covered in bruises and scratches. She ignored the pain and stepped out of the bathtub. She headed straight to the kitchen and gobbled down every sugary snack she could find. She thought the sweetness would daze her, possibly make her forget about the agony she was going through. Yet, for the first time in her life, every single candy she consumed tasted…_bitter!_ It was as bitter as medicine or coffee without sugar… It just didn't feel right. The obnoxious taste made her stomach churn. It was nauseating and she felt like throwing up.

"No…it can't be…" She mumbled, refusing to accept the truth. Candy always tasted sweet to her. It couldn't be bitter. She tore open a few more packages and chomped on the chocolate chips. The result disappointed her, nearly pushing her over the edge. She began to hyperventilate with insanity. She didn't know what to do. How come something that was supposed to taste sweet now tasted so dreadful to her? She started fidgeting and shrilling, throwing things around. Next, the room was filled with scraping noise as decors were continuously knocked down and scattered everywhere. Nutty didn't even notice it when someone rang the doorbell. She scrunched her nose and bit her tongue, trying to convince herself it was all just a dream. A nightmare to be more precise.

"Nutty!" Someone yelled outside, tapping against the door violently. Thank goodness, it wasn't Lifty. But she still didn't want to open the door yet. She was in no mood to meet anyone.

"Nutty, open the door!" Whoever outside was trying hard to turn the knob, almost yanking it out. Nutty didn't move a muscle. She just sat there, surrounded by hundreds of crumpled candy wrappers and jelly beans that were left sprinkling all over the place. The door was finally booted open. A perturbed face popped in. It was Sniffles, her teacher, her best friend and also her cousin. The blue-haired boy froze at the sight. He nearly passed out in fret. He couldn't bring himself to believe what he was seeing. The house was in complete mess. It was so chaotic that for a second he thought someone had burgled her house. The girl sat motionlessly on the ground, her bloodshot eyes shimmering with hollowness.

"Nutty!" Half-crying, he ran to embrace her. Her body stayed stiff and calm. She breathed a sigh of relief and nestled her head against his chest.

"Please, tell me you're alright." Sniffles said, tightening his arms around her. Her body was cold as hell. She was trembling. He knew what had happened. Earlier today, Flaky told him everything. He was, indeed, flabbergasted at first. He couldn't believe Nutty would have such horrifying experience. He did notice lately she had been hanging around with Lifty quite often but never had he imagined they were having some trade. He never approved of her getting acquainted with Lifty, knowing that young thief was nothing more than trouble. Still, Sniffles didn't stop her because she looked happy with her new friend. Who knows she was being tricked into consensual sex? It was simply disturbing. Sniffles was beyond incensed. Nutty was his childhood friend. Even though she isn't liked by many people in the town, she is still a person, a human being, a cute, innocent girl. There was no way one could ever take advantage of her like that.

"S-Sniffles…" Nutty cooed. "It's…bitter…"

"W-What? What's it?" Sniffles withdrew from the hug and examined her pallid face.

"The candy…it tastes bitter…" The girl began to cry. Sniffles felt his heart breaking. He had never seen her so dejected.

"I've tried e-everything…it just…isn't sweet anymore…" Nutty whined, tugging Sniffles' shirt. "W-Why…Tell me why…You should know why...right? You always know everything...Help me, Sniffles…Help me please. It's bitter…It's torturing me…"

"Oh my god, Nutty…" Sniffles shook his head and enfolded her in his arms again. "I'll help you. Don't worry. We'll figure this out. I'll be here for you. I won't let anyone hurt you again, I promise…" The boy trailed off as he, himself, began to sob.

"I…can't hold on anymore, Sniffles…I can't…" Nutty whispered as her weak body fell against him. The boy hugged her tightly and cried. "Yes, you can. You can get over this, Nutty. You can!"

Slowly, he picked her up and tucked her into bed. It took him an hour to finally get her to sleep. She didn't talk much, mainly because she was too exhausted to speak. The crying and struggling strained her. Her head swung limply to one side as she clutched his hand. He assured her that he wasn't going to leave until she recovered. The girl smiled vaguely and passed out.

Sniffles watched as Nutty eventually closed her eyes in peace. Her suffrage and anguish lay bare in sight. He couldn't help but feel guilty. He had promised her parents he would look after her and obviously, he hadn't done a great job. He could hardly think of what to say to her parents when they came home. They were not some sort of open-minded persons. They only spoiled Nutty and gave her everything she wanted on the ground that she would follow their rules and stayed disciplined. Knowing their daughter had been engaging in such disgraceful act with a notorious thief, her parents must freak out for sure. Even Sniffles couldn't imagine what they might do. They would probably hunt Lifty down, charge him for rape or indecent assault and lock Nutty up forever. Then, it would be the end of Nutty's life. She would never enjoy freedom again.

"No…I can't tell them…" Sniffles sighed. Despite his anger, he still remained sensible. He had considered ringing up Nutty's parents right away but on second thought, it seemed better to leave things unknown to them. Before they resolved this whole mess, they had to conceal everything from her parents. Otherwise, Nutty would get into greater trouble.

"Oh God, why did something like this have to happen to her…" Sniffles growled in frustration. Nutty was always the cheerful, sunshine type of girls. She deserved so much better than this. She wasn't supposed to be misled this way. She might look sixteen but her inner mind was barely nine. How could one even think of snatching the innocence away from a girl ever so naïve? What kind of bastards could that be?

Thinking of Lifty, Sniffles felt his rage return. He clenched his fists and cursed. He swore after Nutty's condition became stable, he was going to take his vengeance on that kleptomaniac. He had to beat the shit out of him and teach him a lesson. Something just wasn't meant for trade. Nutty is a human with flesh. She is not a commodity, an object or a tool whatsoever.

* * *

Shifty tramped about the house restlessly. It had been three days since Lifty locked himself up in his room, refusing to eat or to converse with him. Shifty had never seen his younger twin get so fed up with something before. Sure enough, he had seen Lifty date some girls back in high school but he was never this disheartened when he broke up with one of his girlfriends. He wasn't the type that usually made a fuss just because a girl dumped him. It hit Shifty when he recalled Lifty's crying face. Perhaps, he thought, Lifty was never serious in his previous relationships but this time, he was truly in love with Nutty. Again, a sense of guilt struck the older twin.

"Oh gosh, what've I done?" Shifty flailed his hands and grunted. When he thought of it, Lifty had every single reason to beat him up. Not only did he always abandon him during the heist, he had undoubtedly just ruined Lifty's relationship. What was he thinking when he insulted Nutty that way? Of course, no girls could ever take such humiliation. He knew he was a harsh, nasty person but most of the time, his words came as reckless remarks. Sometimes, he wouldn't even remember what he had said. Most people realized that. Still, what's done is done. He couldn't take back his words now. His spiteful acts had made two persons suffer and one of them was his twin.

Shifty scurried upstairs and knocked on Lifty's door. He hoped he hadn't tried anything stupid. He wouldn't know how to deal with it if Lifty ever committed suicide.

"Lifty, can I come in?" Shifty asked. He heard slight movement inside the room but no footsteps approached the door.

"Leave me alone." A weak voice said.

"Please, Lift, I'm sorry. Don't torture yourself like this. Let me come in and we'll sort this out."

Shifty didn't wait for Lifty's response. He entered the room anyway. What he saw next stung his heart. Lifty, lying inanimately on his bed, was surrounded by muddled piles of trash and clothes. He had his back facing Shifty. The older twin took a deep breath before walking towards the bedside. He peeked at Lifty. His pale, grubby face was soaked in tears and his hair was all matted. If he wasn't blinking, Shifty must have thought he had died.

"Lifty, at least wake up and eat something…" Shifty said, trying to pull him up.

"I'm not hungry." Lifty replied coldly.

"How can you not be hungry when you haven't eaten anything for three days?" Shifty raised his voice. "Like it or not, I'm taking you out for lunch. We'll get you some fresh air and have some feast, okay?"

"I don't want it." Lifty shrugged it off and turned away from Shifty.

"Right, you do what I say."

"No! Why?!"

"Because I'm older than you and I'm in charge!"

In the end, Shifty decided to drag Lifty out of the room by force. Despite his persistent struggling and wailing, he got Lifty downstairs and seated him on the couch.

"Look, you listen carefully, Lift." Shifty said grimly. Lifty glared at him in silence. "I don't know what's gone wrong between you and Nutty. As I said, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have talked to her or interfered with your relationship. But again, it isn't entirely my fault. You're the one who's taken her for granted. Hiding in your room and doing nothing won't help you get over this mess you caused. If you really love her, you had better go and find her."

"She won't see me."

"So? You're giving up already?"

"I…" Lifty sighed and looked down at the ground. "I don't know how to face her."

"Tell her you love her. If she knows the truth and still doesn't want to see you, then let it go. You won't get anywhere if you don't explain things to her. You've got to make it up to her. She's a girl, man. If you don't make your move now, she's going to hate you forever!"

"And I thought you said I shouldn't love her because she's a freak…?"

"Geez, don't get back at me! I don't care whom you love but if you take my word, you should get up right now, get yourself clean and GO FIND HER!"

"O-Okay…" Taken aback by surprise, Lifty slowly got up.

He wasn't sure why Shifty was helping him but he made his point. He washed himself and got changed. He was shocked when he saw his own reflection in the mirror. He looked hideous and awful. Yet, he reminded himself his suffering was nothing compared to Nutty's. She must be heartbroken when she learnt the truth. Even he couldn't believe he had done something so devilish, having used Nutty as if she was…she was his sex partner!

As he plodded down the road, flashback of memories swarmed his head. He passed one of those diners he used to patronize with Nutty. Immediately, her energetic, lovable face when she saw her favorite dessert recipes came into his mind. He missed those wonderful times when she sat across the table devouring her desserts and feeding him spoonfuls of chocolate ice-cream. Then, there was the cinema. He remembered her distinctive, beautiful laugh as they watched comedy and the way she snuggled up and leaned against his shoulder when they watched horror movies. Her face, her voice and her touch haunted him. He could almost sense her presence when he spotted the shopping mall. Yes, they went there every Wednesday and he would buy her lots of treats. They would always come out with big grocery bags all filled with Nutty's snacks. She would be so thrilled and delighted that she would give him a grateful kiss. He would then blush and smile like an idiot. And there was this sweet little corner they frequented. When they didn't make love at their own houses, they would do it in the small, vacant alleyway behind the park. No one ever went there. He would strip off her clothes impatiently and took her into his arms. Their moans would echo all through the alleyway, imbued with their lust and pleasure. There was also another reason why they chose that place to make out. It was right near the park where they first had their official encounter. They liked spending time in the park. He would watch her play and push her on the swing sets. They would stay until dusk when the sun was set and they had decided where to have their dinner. Oh, how he missed those days! The more he indulged in his memories, the more convinced he was that he loved her. No, he didn't want their relationship to end like this. He still wanted to spend more time with her. The past three weeks were both heaven and bliss to him, though they were also what plunged him into great remorse and sorrow right now. If he hadn't started the forbidden trade with her, none of these would have happened. He wouldn't have fallen in love with her and she wouldn't have got her heart broken. It was a shame…_a total shame_…He could have done better. He knew he could have loved her in a more proper way. If only he had had better control of himself, he wouldn't have hurt her so badly.

Lifty stopped at Nutty's house. He knew what he had to do. If he was bold enough to trick a girl, he should probably be brave enough to confess to her. Although she might not believe his words, he would still give it a shot. Perhaps, he thought, there was a miracle, a miracle that would let him redeem his sins.

* * *

**Lifty: *Cries* Please, please make Nutty forgive me.**  
**Sniffles: *Shouts* No, you asshole! **  
**Giggles: *Shrugs* Well, that will probably depend on the writer's mood.**  
**Petunia: *Hands on her hips* Personally, I don't think Nutty should forgive you!**  
**Flaky: *Stutters* But I k-know Nutty is a really kind girl so I'd say if you do it right this time, she will possibly f-forgive you, Lifty...**  
**Lifty: Really?**  
**Shifty: Now, don't waste any more time, sissy! GO AND RING THE DOORBELL. **  
**Lifty: Okay...*sobs***

**And don't forget to review! XD**


	5. Confessions

Lifty stood on the porch, his hands slightly shaking. His heart was beating like a drum. He knew this was the only chance he could fix his mistake. He reminded himself over and over again not to screw things up or he would definitely regret it for the rest of his life. He took a deep breath and brought himself to ring the doorbell. He was expecting to see Nutty's face but the one who opened the door apparently startled him. He frowned at the blue-haired nerd in front of him, his ratty eyes glittering with suspicion. As soon as he recognized Lifty's identity, his face turned pale and his brows were immediately furrowed. Sniffles stepped out of the house and slammed the door behind him. He adjusted his glasses before glaring resentfully at the thief.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" He accused him heartlessly.

"I…er…I'm here to see Nutty."

"Go away. She doesn't want to see you." Sniffles informed, his expression growing with certainty.

"Um…would you mind letting me talk to her directly?" Lifty requested, his hands behind his back.

"No." Sniffles declined almost instantly, which for one second provoked Lifty. Still, he remained calm.

"She's sick. She's not seeing anyone, especially you, bastard." Sniffles reiterated, motioning Lifty to turn around and leave. Lifty did not budge. He just bit his lips trying to figure out how to get through this persistent scientist.

"Do you hear me? Are you deaf or what?" Sniffles went on. "Leave now or I'm gonna call the cops."

"Please, let me talk to Nutty." Lifty said monotonously. He was not leaving until he could see Nutty.

"How dare you ask to see her after what you've done to her!" Sniffles, now hopping mad, charged at Lifty. He gripped his collar and punched his face. Lifty tumbled backwards and growled in pain.

"Damn you." Sniffles cursed. He raised his leg and kicked Lifty, who, instead of retaliating, only recoiled backwards helplessly. "Are you not satisfied yet? What more do you plan to do to her, eh? Do you even know how to spell the word 'shame'? Toying with a girl's body is fun, isn't it? Why don't you go find some other bitch to fuck? Nutty isn't a hooker!"

"I…I know…That's why I've come to apologize and…"

"Go!" Sniffles ordered. "You might as well save your apology after killing someone! It won't do any help, you son of a bitch. Go before I shoot you myself."

Sniffles pulled out a tranquilizer gun from the pocket of his lab coat and pointed it at Lifty. "This is not any sort of ordinary gun. It contains the world's most lethal poison. One step closer and I'm gonna send you back to hell. You won't die instantly but you will suffer bit by bit, just like how you've tortured Nutty."

Lifty didn't move. He just stood there, staring at the gun and then at Sniffles' face. He could feel his eyes getting itchy with tears again.

"Please, I…I've got something to tell her. I really do need to see her." He pleaded.

"Oh, and what might that be? I'll tell her your last will." Sniffles slid his index finger into the trigger guard, ready to fire at his enemy.

"I…I…I love her." Lifty blurted out.

Sniffles cocked his brows, clearly convinced by the thief's words.

"Say what?"

"I love her." Lifty reiterated.

"Really? How?" Sniffles taunted, laughing frantically. "Tell me about it. Do you even know her real name? When's her birthday? At what age has she started her sugar addiction?"

"I…don't know." Lifty looked down at the ground and sighed.

"Exactly. And you call that 'loving her'?" Sniffles mocked. "All you've ever wanted is her body and nothing more!"

"That's not true!" Lifty argued, taking a step forward. Sniffles bit his lips and aimed the gun at Lifty once more. "I said, buck off or I'll shoot."

"No, you won't. I'm going to see Nutty."

In a flash, Lifty clutched Sniffles' wrist and attempted to knock off his gun. Sniffles fired but it completely missed the target. The thief proceeded to strike Sniffles and toss him to the ground. He stomped on Sniffles' hand with sufficient force to make him loosen his grip around the gun's handle. Gritting his teeth in anger, Sniffles retaliated by kicking Lifty's guts. Lifty limped backwards, giving the nerd an opportunity to get back up and smack him across the face. The two continued attacking each other for a couple of minutes.

"S-Stop!" All at once, the two fighting boys ceased their movement and perked up instinctively. Leaning against the window was Nutty, who only managed to support herself with the window sill. Lifty gasped at the heart-breaking sight. The girl looked awfully scrawny and ruined. It was as though she had been starving herself for weeks. Her cheekbones completely jutted out over her face which was so pallid as if it was bleached.

"Please, don't fight…" Nutty said in her quavering voice. Her hair hung down messily around her shoulders. Her clothes appeared oversized with her now skinny body. She left the room and plodded downstairs, finally reaching the door.

"I told you to stay in bed." Sniffles went up to her anxiously. Lifty, standing speechlessly, could only glance at Nutty in dismay. He couldn't believe what he had done to the poor girl. Was he the reason for all these drastic changes of her body? How long had she been suffering from malnutrition?

"Please…go away…I don't wanna see ya again…" Nutty merely snarled and trailed off. She could hardly keep her eyes open.

"Please, give me a chance to explain…" Lifty begged, tears forming in his ears.

"No, you don't deserve any chance. Leave now!" Sniffles roared and picked up the gun. "Or I'll definitely shoot you this time."

"No! Don't…" Nutty clamped her hand over Sniffles' gun. "I…"

Before she could continue, she collapsed weakly to the ground.

"Nutty!" Both Sniffles and Lifty shouted and rushed to Nutty's unconscious body.

"Nutty! Answer me!" Sniffles shook her repeatedly in an attempt to earn a response from her. Yet, the girl's eyes were shut tightly. Her head was tilted to one side. At this point, both boys were crying, Sniffles out of panic, Lifty out of fear.

"What're you waiting for?" Sniffles bawled at Lifty. "Call an ambulance!"

Lifty swiftly pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number, his hands trembling endlessly. He simply couldn't press the right buttons. All that came up in his mind was the thought of losing her. _Forever._

* * *

Flaky sat down nervously. When she received a call from Sniffles that Nutty had passed out, she immediately dashed to the hospital. She caught Lifty in the corridor. The thief looked dreadful. He was crouching on a chair, face buried in his hands. Even in a distance, Flaky could hear him wince.

"L-Lifty?" She reached out her hand and touched his shoulder. He flinched a little, looking up at her with his swollen eyes. The girl could hardly imagine anyone being more messed up than him.

"It'll be alright." She reassured him.

"No." Lifty shook his head in despair. "They say she's suffering from malnutrition…It's all my fault that she's stopped eating candy and refused to eat anything for the past few days. It's all my fault that she's here...It's not going to be alright. Nothing will be alright…"

Flaky gasped. She couldn't believe Lifty was taking all the blame. It's true that he was the culprit of Nutty's sadness but seeing him anguish in guilt simply tore Flaky's heart. She wouldn't deny he had made mistakes. Yet, he was trying his best to redeem everything he had done. The outcome just wasn't as good as expected. She could tell he really loved Nutty. She wondered if he would ever get the opportunity to confess to the poor girl.

Sniffles walked out from the room. Flaky stood up apprehensively and inquired about Nutty's condition. The blue-haired boy nodded with a faint smile.

"She's okay now, sleeping peacefully inside." Sniffles informed.

Lifty walked up to them and immediately, Sniffles' face was twisted in wrath, shooting the thief a menacing stare.

"Why are you still here? Haven't you caused enough trouble already?" He pointed to the exit and demanded. "LEAVE!"

Lifty bit his lips. After a minute or two, he asked. "Can I go in for a moment?"

"No." Again, Sniffles declined harshly. "She's resting. There's nothing you can do. Leave now or I'm gonna call the security guards."

"Stop it, Sniffles." Flaky interjected, her hands shaking. "Please let Lifty see her once."

"Flaky?" Sniffles ogled Flaky skeptically. "Why are you defending this good-for-nothing lowlife?"

"I-I'm not defending him!" Flaky argued. "Can't you see how fucked up he is? He…He just wants to see…Nutty. That's all. Why can't you let him do so and get it over with? We'll be watching from here so he can't possibly harm Nutty…right?"

Tentatively, Sniffles sighed. He had to agree with Flaky. He was surprised that she didn't slur in her speech. It seemed that she was quite insistent this time.

"Five minutes." He said and opened the door. "That's all I can offer."

Lifty nodded gratefully and entered the room. He took a seat beside Nutty's bed and held her hand. Several needles were inserted deeply into her veins. Her skin was smooth and cold. She was breathing softly, her eyes completely shut. It hurt him to see her like this. She was lying inertly dressed all in white. She looked like an angel in death. When he saw her colorless lips, he began to weep.

"Nutty, there's something I must say. I know you might not hear me right now but this is probably the last time I can ever stay so close to you." Lifty sniveled, grabbing Nutty's hand tightly. "I'm sorry, Nutty. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to do what I did. Yes, I…admit it…I was such a bastard to have tricked you. I only wanted your body in our first trade. But after that, I swear I didn't do it solely for fulfilling my desires. I…I…really enjoy being with you. You made me happy. You made me feel different. You're actually the only one who would bother to talk to me when Shifty isn't around. I knew you were only after the candy but still…I thought if I kept having trades with you, I could keep you beside me…I know it's wrong, so wrong. I can't help it though. I wasn't sure if you would ever feel anything for me so I just wanted us to stay that way. I didn't intend to use you as my sex tool. I didn't merely treat you as my sex partner either. I was a dumbass, all right. I just didn't know how to convince you that it's true, so damn true that I love you. I seriously do. But right now, I guess…I guess you really don't wanna see me ever again. I'll leave you alone, Nutty. I'm sorry for hurting you. If it'll make you feel better, curse at me, smack me or do whatever you want. I won't duck because I deserve it. You shouldn't be the one lying here suffering. I ought to take your place. Sorry…"

Sniffles coughed and tapped the door. Lifty wiped off his tears and smiled. "Well…He's right. What am I to say I love you when I don't even know your real name? I wish you would forget all about this after you wake up. Forget about having met me. Forget about what we did…I'm sorry, love. I'll leave you for now."

Lifty gave Nutty one last, swift kiss on the cheek. Reluctantly, he released her hand and scurried out of the room.

"Thank you." He whispered as he went past Sniffles.

"I don't want to see your face again." Sniffles murmured.

"You won't." Lifty smirked. "I won't find her again. Don't worry." Hardly capable of swallowing his sobs, Lifty trotted away as quickly as he could. He didn't want others to catch him crying again. It was supposed to be over. He had said his final words to Nutty. There was nothing to regret about. She might not hear it but it doesn't matter. When she woke up, Sniffles would tell her it was all just a nightmare. Someone called Lifty never ever existed in her life. Hopefully, she wouldn't remember having traded with him. As time rolled on, she would get over this pain with Sniffles' help. Without Lifty hanging around her, her life would return to normal once more.

When Lifty came out of the hospital, Shifty was standing outside. He frowned but didn't ask anything. He stepped forward and hugged his twin, rubbing Lifty's back gently as he cried and cried. The older brother knew better than anyone else people like them weren't supposed to love someone. They were just a bunch of layabouts, thieves to be more precise. They weren't born to fall in love with anyone and if they should, they would definitely end up wrecking everything, hurting the one they loved.

* * *

Nutty opened her eyes. Tears trickled down her patsy face. She had had a dream. A dream ever so real that she felt her heart shattering. She clenched her fists, only to feel something underneath her palm. She held up her hand. It was…a small pack of gummy bears.

Immediately, she sprang up and wailed. Her shrill noise startled Sniffles, who was taking a nap on the other side of the room.

"Nutty?!" He dashed to embrace her. The girl, shivering in distress, cried even louder.

"Sh…it's alright, Nutty. It's just a nightmare." Sniffles purred. "No one is going to hurt you again."

"No…No! It ain't no dream!" Nutty squealed. "It's real! It's real! Tell me, was he here? Was he?"

"What?" Sniffles stared at Nutty in shock. She clasped his elbows and shook him wildly. "Where's he? Where's Lifty?"

"N-Nutty, he-"

"WHERE IS HE?" Nutty shrieked, her face soaked in rivers of tears.

"He's gone. He promised he'll never come back, so don't you worry. He'll never be able to hurt you. At least, I won't let him lay a finger on you ever again."

"No…why? Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

Nutty hushed and let go of Sniffles' hands. She slumped back calmly against the pillow and glanced at the candy in her hands. So, it wasn't a dream after all. She heard him. She wasn't fully unconscious. Everything he said sounded clear enough to her. Those remorseful words still lingered in her head. He had given his last gift for her.

It was…_her favorite gummy bears…_

"N-Nutty…?" Sniffles worriedly wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"I'm fine…Sniffles." Nutty burbled. "I'm fine…"

* * *

Lifty wandered in the park, finally settling down on a swing set. He had said his farewell to his love, his very first and utmost love in his life. He had confessed to her. Yet, he wasn't happy at all. This excruciating feeling squeezed his heart so badly that he felt tears blurring his vision again. Those sour liquids simply erupted irrepressibly. He had his hands on his lap, his lips pressed together. It had been nearly a week since Nutty got hospitalized. From time to time, he would still try to gather news from Flaky about her situation. It seemed that she had recovered from her malnutrition and had started eating again. Lifty, by all means, was glad to know she was getting better each day. However, his heart kept sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss. He wondered how long he could survive. He began to remind himself not to be so selfish and relentless. He shouldn't ask for more besides seeing Nutty get back to her old self and gradually forget about him. She should overcome this suffrage and get rid of those painful memories he had caused her. After all, he was just a passerby in these sixteen years of her life. _A brutal, heart-stealing passerby._

Lifty sighed as he recalled how they met. To be honest, he didn't have a good impression of her in the beginning. He still remembered her trying to retrieve a lollipop that had fallen into a puddle of filthy slime. Perhaps if he hadn't stopped her at that time, none of these chain events would have occurred. He wouldn't have led her to his apartment and traded with her. He had, again, only himself to blame for everything. He was just a reckless jerk, a detestable good-for-nothing criminal. Even in love, he couldn't act properly. Someone like him shouldn't even have existed in this world at all. He was like a pest, some sort of contagious disease whatsoever, only being able to screw things up without doing things right for once.

The autumn breeze tapped gently against his face. Lifty sniffled, taking in the fragrant air which brought along the aroma of late-blossomed flowers. The rustling leaves echoed with the buzzing bees. Beyond these voices, a shuffle of footsteps caught his ears. A silhouette slunk towards him. He still kept his eyes focusing on the ground. Someone stopped behind him. He doubted if he was hallucinating things. These days, with his terribly broken heart, he had been going through all kinds of crazy stuff. To start off, his mind always went astray. He couldn't even join his brother in the heist. Shifty had him staying at home every day to prevent him from destroying his plans. It was only until today that he decided to take a walk in the park, to revive some of his precious yet miserable memories. He could have picked some other places to visit but uncontrollably, he found himself heading towards the park first thing in the morning. He felt the urge to do so. When he saw the playground, an image of her flashed across his head. He missed her…_So damn much._ But does it matter now? No.

"Lifty…"

He hoped he wasn't seeing delusions or hearing ghostly voice. He thought just a second ago, someone was calling out his name. It came as a whisper. A soft, timid whisper. The voice though was recognizable.

"No…it can't be…" Lifty shook his head.

"Lifty." The call grew a little louder as whoever that was standing behind him took a huge step forward, her hand almost touching Lifty's back. Reflexively, Lifty spun around with his eyes wide open. He goggled at the girl before him, barely believing this was a reality.

"N-Nutty?!" Lifty gasped. He couldn't describe his ecstasy when he saw her. At the same time, nonetheless, he felt gloomy. Nutty's eyes were glistening in a way as though she was expecting something. Soon, her lips broke into a faint smile, which somehow astonished Lifty.

"Hi." She greeted.

"N-Nutty? You…er…Why are you here?" Lifty stuttered, still caught in surprise. His tears kept flowing out of his amber orbs.

"I came out for a walk." Nutty said, striding towards the boy. Briskly, she placed her palms on his cheeks, wiping off his tears with her nimble fingers. Lifty shivered at her touch but indulged in every second of the sensation as her smooth skin came in contact with his. He wondered if he was dreaming. For all he knew, it could possibly be another dream he had during one of these solemn days.

"Y-You….How're you now?" Lifty asked worriedly. "You've got out of the hospital, right? Are you…feeling better?"

"Yea." Nutty cooed, pulling out a pack of candy from her pockets. "I thought you left this when you visited me that day."

Lifty staggered backwards, baffled. He covered his mouth with his hands and sobbed.

"You…You heard what I said?"

Nutty glanced at him and nodded.

"I did." She admitted. "I thought it's a dream but then I had these gummy bears in my hands…"

"It's not a dream, Nutty!" Lifty cried. "I really meant what I said! If you want to hear it again, I'll say it all over one more time."

The boy broke down into tears. When she saw him whimpering shamelessly like a child, Nutty realized he had to be telling the truth. This way he was behaving couldn't be a feigning innocence. He wasn't lying about his feelings for her. He sincerely loved her. What invoked her decision to come and find him was because of Flaky. She had told Nutty that Lifty had been asking about her situation every minute of his life. Whenever he got the opportunity, he would ring Flaky to ask if Nutty was doing fine. The candy lover's heart melted each time she was informed about Lifty's anxiety. She grew more convinced that the love he harbored towards her was more than subtlety. It was completely crazy…out of control…insane…unconditional…as well as unrequited.

One day, an idea suddenly emerged in her mind. She knew what she had to do. She had to confront him no matter what. It was the only way to settle things between them. The mess they had induced was still left unresolved. Someone had to take the initiation. She would find him and she just knew his whereabouts. She figured out her prediction would definitely turn out right. And yes, it did. He was in the park, sitting on one of those swing sets.

"You don't have to repeat those things you've said to me." Nutty said. "I've heard them clearly."

"Nutty, have you come to tell me something?" Lifty asked, his eyes shimmering with hope.

"Er…" Nutty looked away from him. Casually, she stuck a lollipop into her mouth. "Yea."

"What's it?" Lifty, growing pretty impatient, was clutching her hands. He wanted to just embrace her but he couldn't do that. She might not want to be touched by him.

After a long serene pause, Nutty nibbled her lips and said. "I'm offering you a trade, Lifty."

"Huh?" The boy widened his eyes in shock.

"A trade." Nutty reiterated, gingerly licking her favorite lollipop.

"What trade?"

"If you want my forgiveness, you'll need to do something." Nutty said. "Or you don't want it?"

"YES! YES!" Lifty yapped instantly. The girl snickered at his enthusiasm.

"Whatever you say. What do I have to do to trade for your forgiveness? Please, Nutty, tell me."

"Um…" Nutty mused, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "Let me see."

Lifty waited gleefully for Nutty's response. He was flustered but happy. He couldn't imagine his luck when he heard that Nutty was willing to forgive him on certain conditions. He would indisputably do whatever she said.

"Hey, I want you to get me all kinds of sugary snacks in the town." Nutty said, pointing at Lifty. "Every single type. Every single brand. Everything that's sugary and sweet. I want them all. If you miss one, I won't forgive you."

Lifty gulped, his heart racing. He took a deep breath nervously.

_"So…all kinds of sweets eh? Is that what she wants?"_

"Well?" Nutty pouted. "If you don't wanna trade with me, it's okay. We'll just let it go."

"NO! OF COURSE I'LL TRADE WITH YOU!" Lifty shouted, grabbing her wrists eagerly. "All the sugary snacks available in the town, right? Is that all?"

"Yup." Nutty confirmed. "Remember, all types. If you miss one type, you still won't get my forgiveness…"

"Okay! Understood! I get it!" Lifty grinned brightly, shaking her hands at the same time. "I'll get everything you want. I'll make you forgive me."

"Phew…one week's time." Nutty instructed. "I want you to dig into every single grocery store and supermarket in Happy Tree Town. You must come back with mountains of candy….You know all my favorites snacks, right?"

"Yes! Yes, I do." Lifty said. "I'll be back on Monday. Please, wait for me, okay?"

"Ooooookay." Nutty giggled, now chewing on her gums.

Joyously, Lifty scooted out of the park in haste, carrying one of the biggest smile on his face.

"Meh…I wonder if he's ever going to do that." Nutty laughed. She sat on the swing sets and continued with her feast.


	6. Sweet Exploitation

"Damn, why do I have to do this?" Shifty complained, tossing two gigantic plastic bags onto the ground. The boy stretched his exhausted arms and glared at his twin.

"Because you promised to help me!" Lifty grunted, grabbing all the candy on the shelf and stuffing them into his bags.

"Yea, but I didn't expect it to be this tiresome." Shifty grumbled. "Can I wait outside?"

"No! You're supposed to cover for me!" Lifty hissed, clutching Shifty's wrist firmly.

"But the salesman is Lumpy." Shifty shrugged. "I think you'll be okay on your own. Even if you rob the whole store, he wouldn't notice."

"Please, Shift…" Lifty sighed and stared at his brother with pleading eyes. "Just this once. Help me reconcile with Nutty and I'll do whatever you say afterwards."

"Really?" All at once, Shifty's face lightened up. "Like you're going to share with me your exclusive porn collection?"

"Darn, I haven't been watching any of those things since I-" Lifty trailed off and blushed.

"Since you fucked Nutty?" Shifty teased, nudging his brother playfully.

"Ugh, shut up!" Lifty averted his gaze back to the shelf. Cautiously, he pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and checked the list. He had got half of the items required. There was still a long way to go though. Obtaining every sugary snack around the entire town was nearly a mission impossible, considering the twins were penniless to start with. Lifty took a part-time job for two days and got some lousy wages. Still, most of the time, he had to do his task by stealing. He was glad that Shifty had offered to help, despite his impatience and reluctance. It was, after all, part of his fault that Lifty's relationship with Nutty was ruined.

"Are you done yet?" Shifty asked, tapping his fingers on the desk.

"Yea…probably." Lifty skimmed through the list again just to ensure he had got everything right. He couldn't have skipped a thing. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to trade for Nutty's forgiveness.

It could be said that she was finally getting it back at him. She was simply applying the very same trick he had been playing on her. Nevertheless, either she was serious about it or not, he would still comply with her request. There was nothing else he craved for more than her sincere forgiveness. Granting her wish by getting her every candy he could find on earth was also the only thing he could do to condone his past mistakes. He wanted her to realize that his love for her was true and that he wouldn't give in so easily.

"Lift, let's say, what if, I mean, _what if_, there's always such possibility right?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Lifty scowled at his brother in confusion.

"What if you don't get everything…What if you accidentally miss one?" Shifty said. "Everything we've done will go down the drain then!"

"Shift! We're not going to miss anything, okay?" Lifty asserted. "I'll make sure I get her all the candy in Happy Tree Town. I MUST. Plus…even if I fail…even if I can't keep her…I'll still be grateful. At least, she's given me a chance…"

"Don't you see it? She loves you. That's why she's found you back in the park. I don't think you have to get her all the candy. Either way, she'll still forgive you in the end." Shifty argued.

"Geez, you don't understand a thing!" Lifty gave Shifty a slight push. "She has no reason to forgive me, not after what I've done to her! She's supposed to hate me to death. And now, what she asks from me is nothing more than getting her something she likes. I'm going to do it no matter what. I just want her to be happy!"

Shifty glanced at his twin, utterly bewildered. He couldn't fully comprehend Lifty's perseverance because he, himself, had never loved someone so wholeheartedly that he would nearly dedicate his life to prove his feelings for her. Yet, those eyes that shimmered only with sheer determination and hope completely amazed Shifty. There was simply no way for him to doubt about the existence of true love. It's as though he was bound to help his brother for once. He, indeed, wouldn't want to witness Lifty getting his heart broken the second time. If his brother was happy, he would be happy too. They were, after all, identical twins.

"Okay, okay!" Shifty waved his hands casually. "Go on then. I'll cover for you."

"Thanks, bro." Lifty smiled. "I owe you a lot."

* * *

"Nutty, can you come back here for a moment? You ought to reply to your mom's mail." Sniffles said, his eyes fixated on the laptop's screen.

The candy girl clung close to the window with an apple pie in her hands. She looked out at the street desperately, her eyes searching for one particular figure. She peeped at the clock. Time was running out. Where could her lover be?

"Nutty!" Sniffles shouted from the living room.

"Wait." Nutty said.

In the end, the nerd shoved the laptop away from his lap and got up from the armchair.

"Are you still waiting for him?" He asked, walking into Nutty's room.

The girl didn't respond but the fact lay clear. She was spending every second of her life expecting to see Lifty's face. She knew when she offered him that trade, she didn't actually mean what she said. She wouldn't necessarily want him to snatch all the sugary snacks from every store around the town. It was an intended joke or in some way a wicked vengeance. She wouldn't wish to admit she had forgiven him the moment he confessed to her back in the hospital. She had, as she reminded herself, to retain the basic pride of her own.

"Nutty, what if he doesn't come back?" Sniffles said solemnly. "No one can accomplish your task. It's…just impossible. He'll definitely miss one or two for sure."

"I know." Nutty smirked. She tramped back to her fluffy bed. With one leap, she lay down leisurely facing the ceiling.

"Then, what's the point of asking him to do that?" The blue-haired boy frowned. He couldn't understand Nutty's purpose of offering Lifty a chance. He couldn't even understand why she was still in love with him after he had hurt her so badly.

"Sniffles, the thing is," Nutty giggled and took an aggressive bite of her pie. "No trade is fair but love is surely a sweet exploitation."

Sniffles widened his eyes, blinking speechlessly at the girl. It took him a while to grasp the meaning of her utterance. He had always known she was different than others right from the start. But he had never expected such deep words would be generated from the very same innocent and carefree girl. When she said that she loved Lifty, it didn't look at all like a game. She must have been serious about it. _Damn serious._

At one point, the nerd decided not to meddle in this affair anymore. The best way to resolve everything, as he reckoned, was to let Nutty go. Only she could free herself from this crazy love.

When the knock finally came on the door, Nutty hopped up, elated. She dashed downstairs and opened the door. As predicted, Lifty was standing at the doorstep, with a warm, gentle smile on his face.

"Hi…er…Nutty." He greeted.

"Hello, Lifty." Nutty said. "Have you got everything ready with you?"

"Hm…yea." Lifty stepped aside to let her view the van behind him. "Everything is inside. You can…well, take a look, I guess."

"Okay." Nutty nodded merrily and scurried towards the van. Lifty followed her, his heart racing. He had spent five consecutive days and restless nights on preparing for his trade. He had hoped things would turn out just fine. He wouldn't be too greedy to earn more than her forgiveness. He just wished she would accept his treat.

Nutty climbed into the back of the van, immediately welcomed by mountains of her favorite snacks. All brands, all categories and all types of sugary snacks were seemingly present. She began to do the counting. It did look as though Lifty had robbed every single store and supermarket in Happy Tree Town. The girl was astounded. She hadn't foreseen such a dramatic scene, coming right into her eyes. She had thought he would shrug it off when things got complicated or challenging. He couldn't have accomplished something as ridiculous as what she had suggested…or could he?

"N-Nutty…" Lifty stammered anxiously. "I've double…no, I mean, triple-checked everything. What you want are supposed to be in there. All of them…"

"You're wrong." Nutty said, jumping out of the van.

"What?" The boy exclaimed, his hands shaking. He was close to tearing up when she blurted out the words he dreaded most.

"You've missed something." Nutty shook her head. "Something very important and you don't have it in here."

"B-But…it can't be!" Lifty winced. "I've stolen everything I can find from the store. Please, look again. There has to be some mis-"

Before Lifty could continue, Nutty pressed her lips against his. The male was completely startled at first but he soon succumbed to her approach. As always, her mouth tasted of a sweet, tempting aroma. He couldn't believe she was kissing him and wrapping her arms around him._ Was he…dreaming? Was this a dream?_

"Silly, the candy I want most is ya." Nutty tittered as she withdrew from him.

"R-Really? Should I get into the van then?" Lifty snickered, flushing at the same time.

"Nah, van isn't for keeping living candy stick." Nutty said.

"But this living candy stick has nowhere to go." Lifty grinned, leaning closer to the girl. "Can you keep him, please?"

"Nana." Nutty whispered. Lifty cocked his brows and glanced at her in puzzlement. "Nana?"

"That's my real name." Nutty chortled. "If you're asking for someone to keep ya, shouldn't you know your owner's real name?"

"YES! Of course!" Lifty laughed, cuddling the girl tenderly. "Please, can we start it all over again? My name is Lester."

"Okay, Mr. Lester Living Candy Stick." Nutty chuckled.

"I love you, Nutty. I really do." Lifty said, tightening his grip around her. "Will you be my girlfriend, please?"

"Why, I'll only take a certain someone to be my boyfriend." Nutty said. "And that certain someone has to-"

"Has to what?" Lifty gulped.

"He has to always give me candy." Nutty grinned cunningly. "And love me unconditionally."

"Oh, Nutty! I'll supply you with all the candy I can find in this world. ALWAYS!"

"Alright then." Nutty laughed. "You can be my boyfriend."

At once, the boy cradled his lover tightly. He could barely believe he had done it. He could barely believe she had accepted him. And on top of all, he could barely believe she had let him continue to love her. There was just too much to take in. In all his life, the young thief had never felt so wondrous…so embraced by miracles before. He cried at her forgiveness. He melted at her subtlety. He smiled at her confession.

From then on, he vowed to trade for her love with his whole heart. He would only be loved and exploited by her. He would be the sole greatest sweetness in her life.

"And I love you, too, Lifty!" Nutty cooed, hugging Lifty back in ecstasy.

* * *

**Yay, fluffy all the way. Someone can only trade for true love with their whole heart. And that reminds me of something that happened back in high school. Haha, there is so much to reminisce about school love! See ya :3 **

**And oh, if you support a squeal, let me know and review -3- **


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